Ul D 




-Supply Paper No. 215 



{A, Economic Geology, 96 
B, Descriptive Geology, 118 
M, General Hydrographic Investigations, 25 
0, Underground waters, 71 



DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 
UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

GEORGE OTIS SMITH, DiRBCTOB 



GEOLOGY MD WATER RESOURCES 



OF A PORTION OF THE 



MISSOURI RIVER VALLEY IN NORTH 
EASTERN NEBRASKA 



BY 



Gh. E. CONDRA 




WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OPPICE 
1908 

Monograph. 



^/ 



Water-Supply Paper No. 215 



{A, Economic Geology, 96 
B, Descriptive Geology, 118 
M, General Hydrographic Investigations, 25 
0, Underground Waters, 71 



DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 
UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

GEORGP: OTIS SMITH, Dikkctok 






GEOLOGY AND WATER RESOURCES 



OF A PORTION OF THE 



MISSOURI RIVER VALLEY IN NORTH 
EASTERN NEBRASKA 



BY 



Or, E. CONDRA 




WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

190 8 



APR 6 1908 
D. or 0, 



^- 



COjSTTEI^TS. 



rage. 

lutrodiiction : 5 

Topography f; 

Descriptive geology (j 

Stratigraphy (j 

Structure 8 

Description of the rocks 8 

Cretaceous system 8 

Dakota sandstone 8 

Benton group 10 

Graneros shale n 

Greenhorn limestone H 

Carlile shale 12 

Niobrara formation i;j 

Pierre shale in 

Tertiary system 18 

Arikaree formation 18 

Pliocene deposits 19 

Quaternary system 20 

Glacial drift 20 

Loess 20 

Alluvium 21 

Dune sjind 22 

Economic geologj' 22 

Mineral resources 22 

Brick clay - 22 

Sand and gravel 22 

Building stone 22 

Cement rock 



Coal 



— o 



14 



Peat 24 

Volcanic ash 24 

Water resources 2r» 

General statement 2r» 

Surface waters .>r 

streams -}- 

Springs 2<; 

Underground waters 27 

Shallow wells 27 

Artesian wells 28 

Artesian conditions 28 

Chemical composition of artesian water 28 

Pressure 2J) 

Temperature of artesian water 30 

Construction and care of wells 30 

Diminution in pressure and supply 31 

3 



4 CONTENTS. 

Kc-onoinic jjoolojry — (\>ntiiiued. Page. 
Water resources — Contiiiueil. 

Underground waters — Continued. 

Blowing wells 31 

rollution of well waters ' 32 

Water resources, by counties 32 

Northern part of Holt County i 32 

Boyd County 35 

Knox County 39 

Cedar County 45 

Dixon County 50 

Dakota County 54 

Agricultural resources 55 

Soils 55 

Crops ^ 55 

Stock raising and dairying 55 

Timber • 5(5 

Index 57 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



V Page. 

Plate I. Sketch map of Nebraska 6 

Iir Geologic map of northeastern Nebraska In pocket. 

III.' Sections across northeastern Nebraska and adjacent regions. In pocket. 
IV.' A, Dakota sandstone on bank of Missouri River below mouth of 
Aowa Creek; B, Greenhorn limestone on Graneros shale 

northeast of Ponca, Nebr 10 

\. A, Carlile clay overlain by Niobrara, northeast of James, Nebr.; 
B, Calcareous concretions in Carlile formation, west of Ver- 
milion Ferry, Nebr 12 

VI. Characteristic fossils of Niobrara formation and Greenhorn 

limestone 14 

VIL A, One of the Twin Buttes, Boyd County, Nebr. ; B, Knoll- 

kemper dam. Turner, Holt County, Nebr 18 

VIII. A, Cement plant near Yankton, S. Dak. ; B, Niobrara forma- 
tion, just west of Niobrara, Nebr 24 

IX. Map of northeastern Nebraska region, showing underground 

water conditions In pocket. 

X: Second artesian well at Lynch, Nebr 38 

XI. A, Old well at Santee Agency, Nebr.; B. Lower dam on Bazile 

Creek, Knox County, Nebr 40 



GEOLOGY AND WATER RESOURCES OF A PORTION OF THE 
MISSOURI RIVER VALLEY IN NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 



BV G. E. COXDRA. 



liS^TRODLCTIO?^. 

The region considered in this report lies in northeastern Nebraska, 
south of Missouri River, and extends about 150 miles east and west 
and approximately 29 miles north and south. The total area is over 
4,100 square miles, comprising Dakota, Cedar. Knox, and Boyd 
counties and the northern part of Holt County, as shown in PL I. 

The eastern part of the area was settled long ago. and the western 
counties are now rapidly filling up. The entire region has a fertile 
soil, and there is sufficient rainfall to insure crops in most seasons, 
especially where careful cultivation is practiced. Very little irriga- 
tion is needed, and a few short ditches constructed during excep- 
tionally dry years are not used at present. In 1903 no irrigation what- 
ever was employed. 

Stock raising is carried on extensively where the land is not farmed. 
There is an abundance of ground water throughout most of the area, 
yet at places in Boyd, Knox, and Holt counties there is difficulty 
in obtaining a sufficient supply of good well water for stock and 
domestic purposes. On this account considerable space is given in 
this report to ground water and shallow wells in those counties. 

Man}^ springs, some of them of good volume, are found in every 
county. Artesian wells are obtained on the Missouri bottom and ad- 
jacent lowlands from eastern Boyd to the northeastern j^art of Dixon 
County. 

This report is a result of studies made in the field during the 
summer of 1003, under the direction of X. H. Darton. There was 
found to be much local interest in cement rock, coal, and the water 
conditions. Special trips were made into Dixon and Dakota coun- 
ties with Prof. J. E. Todd, who has furnished important suggestions 
as to the geologA^ and has supplied several sections. It was found nec- 
essary to determine the broader structural and stratigraphic relations 
of the Cretaceous formations, and, in order to do this, observations 
were continued into Iowa and South Dakota. 



G MISSOITRI VALLEY, NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 

Only about 250 square miles of the area have been topographic- 
ally surveyed and these are included in the P]lk Point quadrangle, 
which extends from South Dakota into Dixon and Dakota counties. 
Outside of that area altitudes were obtained from railroad levels 
and by the use of an aneroid barometer. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The principal topographic features of the region are the result of 
the erosive action of streams, but glacial action has modified the sur- 
face in some districts by changing the preglacial drainage and adding 
deposits of gravel, sand, bowlders, and clay, while the wind has modi- 
fied certain sandy surfaces into small areas of dunes. The altitude 
varies from over 2,100 feet on the table-lands of w^estern Holt and 
Boyd counties to about 1,100 feet on the lowdands of Dakota County. 
The Missouri River, wdiich is the principal stream, has eroded a 
trough, usually wdth steep slopes, to an average depth of 500 to 600 
feet below the general upland level. The entire area slopes gradually 
downward from w^est to east, and more steeply northward from the 
high divides tow^ard Missouri River. While most of the area slopes 
and drains northw^ard toward that river, the drainage of small por- 
tions of Holt, Knox, Cedar, Dixon, and Dakota counties flows south- 
eastward and reaches the river farther south. 

DESCRIPTIVE GEOI.OGY. 

STRATIGRAPHY. 

Study of the local geology of a region affords information con- 
cerning the soil, aids in drilling artesian wells by indicating the thick- 
ness and character of the formations through wdiich the drill must 
pass, and is a guide to many natural resources wdiich may be advan- 
tageousl}^ developed. 

The formations in this area are all of sedimentary origin and be- 
long to the Cretaceous, Tertiary, and Quaternary systems. The Cre- 
taceous strata, w^hich are the lowest exposed, consist of beds wide in 
extent and nearly horizontal in position or with a slight dip to the 
west. They, are composed of clay, chalk, limestone, and sandstone, 
which were for the greater part marine accumulations of mud, minute 
calcareous shells, and sand. These formations outcrop extensively 
along Missouri River and other streams, as show^n in PL II (in 
pocket), and by well records their relations at other places are known. 
The total thickness of the Cretaceous beds in the w^estern part of Boyd 
County is thought to be about 1,400 feet. From records of deep bor- 
ings at Ponca and Sioux City it is knowm that the Carboniferous lime- 
stones also underlie the region, beginning at a depth of about 545 feet 
at Ponca, Nebr., and 335 feet at Sioux City, low^a. 




ii 




ii 


m 




ii; 






STRATIGRAPHY. / 

The following sections represent the succession at certain typical 
localities : 

Section hcJoic the moutfi of Aoira Creek, Diion County, yebr. 

Feet. 

Loess, extends 98 feet higher in slope; exposed 7-3G 

Glacial till 22 

Greenhorn limestone : 

Limestone, slabby, with many remains of Inoccraniu.s luljiatiis 5§ 

Claj% dark, sandy, with some chalk 1 

Limestone, slabby, containing Inoccrami 4 

Limestone, blnish, chalky, weathers to a light color resembling Nio- 
brara chalk rock: contains some Inoccrami 9 

Graneros shale : 

Clay, blnish and somewhat chalky above, dark below, contains iron 

pyrites concretions, and sulphate of iron as a powder 49* 

Clay, dark, at places carbonaceous above, usually sandy, containing 

concretions of iron pyrites and marcasite and rosettes of selenite__ 7 

Dakota sandstone: 

Sandstone, light to rusty color, porous, and soft ; with root marks. 
Rusty iron concretions occur near the center and base. The beds 

thicken and dip westward 7-10 

Clay, dark, contains irregular streaks of light-colored sand 2* 

Sandstone, nodular, contains rusty iron, limy at places J 

Shale and nodules, dark, very sandy near ravine 1 

Sandstone, with layers of concretionary iron between beds 4^ 

Sandstone, rusty and dark, varying from sandstone to shale 5^-8 

Sandstone, rusty, porous at 1,120 feet above sea level 

The beds show a steeper westward inclination near the mouth of 
Aowa Creek, beyond which they appear to rise again for a short 
distance. 

Combined section from Vermition Ferry to the Dixon-Cedar count}/ line. 

No. Feet. 

7. Loess; thick on higher slopes. 

6. Glacial drift; usually covered by loess 0-15 

5. Niobrara chalk rock, light color, soft, rises in hills above, exposed in 

three banks !-.'» 

4. Clay, dark, with some selenite crystals, sandy at places. 13 

3. Sandstone and clay, varies from sandstone to plastic clay. Betls car- 
bonaceous at places 8 

2. Clay, bluish or dark, plastic, covered with many selenite crystals. Con- 
tains two zones of calcareous concretions, one 03-f»5 feet and the 
other 55 feet above the river. In one bank a thin bed of rusty sand- 
stone is found 10 feet above the river 73 

1. Shale, dark blue, chalky, containing Serpula, large, flat Inoccrami, 

Ostrea congesta, and Prionocyclus. Exposed above water .'5-t 

Altitude of top of No. 1, at ferry 1, 130 

Altitude of base of No. 5 1,224 

All below No. 5 are included in the Carlile shale of the Benton group. 

On the eroded upper surface of the Cretaceous lie sheets of sand 
and clay of Tertiary age, which are thickest and ino^t typically de- 



8 MISSOURI VALLEY, NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 

veloped in the western parts of Boyd and Plolt counties, and thin out 
in Knox and Cedar counties. The only portion of the Tertiary thus 
far identified here is the Arikaree formation and an unnamed forma- 
tion of Pliocene age. A more careful examination of the western 
part of the region may possibly show the presence of outliers of the 
AMiite Eiver formation below the Arikaree. 

Lying on the eroded surface of the Cretaceous and Tertiary forma- 
tions, oA'er wide areas, are the deposits of clay, sand, gravel, bowlders, 
loess, and alluvium of Quaternary age. 

STRUCTURE. 

Tn outcrops in northeastern Nebraska the rocks usually appear to 
lie horizontal, but they have a slight general inclination to the west 
or west-northwest, which becomes ver}^ low for some distance above 
the mouth of Xiobrara River. The principal structural features are 
shown on the cross sections PL III (in pocket). The westerly dip is 
indicated by the differences in altitude of the top of the Dakota sand- 
stone, which slopes from a height of 40 feet above the river level, or 
altitude of 1,160 feet, at Sioux City to a depth of 500 feet, or altitude 
of about 720 feet, at Xiobrara. This difference of 440 feet in 80 miles 
indicates an average dip of oj feet to the mile. The dip from Sioux 
City to Ponca, however, is slight, making the average dip from Ponca 
to Xiobrara about T feet to the mile. At Lynch, 23 miles west of Xio- 
brara, the altitude of the top of the formation is about 690 feet, which 
indicates a fall of only about 1 foot to the mile in that direction, while 
to the northwest, up the Missouri valley, there is a similar low dip. 

DESCRIPTION OF THE ROCKS. 

CRETACEOUS SYSTE:M. 
DAKOTA SANDSTONE. 

The Dakota sandstone is of considerable economic importance, fur- 
nishing artesian water, brick clay, fair building stone in places, and 
small amounts of a poor grade of lignite coal. 

It outcrops occasionally in bluffs in southeastern Dakota Count}^, 
Nebr., at Sioux City, Iowa, and along Big Sioux River in Iowa. In 
Xebraska the formation outcrops at intervals from the high hills 
southeast of Homer to a point northeast of Ponca, where it passes 
beneath the river level. It extends far to the northwest and the south- 
west under later formations and comes to the surface in the Black 
Hills and the Rocl^ Mountains. According to well records, its upper 
surface lies at a depth of 360 feet at Aten, 600 feet at Santee, 500 feet 
at Xiobrara, and TOO feet at Lynch. 

The formation is penetrated by wells at Ponca, Xebr., and Sioux 
City, Iowa, where in each case the thickness is thought to be between 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ROCKS. 9 

300 and 400 feet. In the Ponca well, TOO feet deep, the base of the 
formation appears to be at an altitude of about 755 feet, while its 
upper surface, exposed in bluffs east of the town, rises to 1,135 feet, 
indicating a thickness of 380 feet ; but this estimate })robably is some- 
what too large. 

According to Professor Todd the mouth of the Sioux City well is 
38 feet below the outcrops of the sandstone, whose altitude is 1,122 
feet, and, as the bottom of this sandstone, according to the well 
record, is at an altitude of 825 feet, the thickness is 335. It is 
thouofht, hoAvever, that the beds observed near the mouth of the well 
are not at the top of the formation and that some higher strata have 
been removed by ero;-ion. 

The Dakota formation is composed largely of thick deposits of 
coarse friable sandstone, light buff to rusty in color, with interbedded 
clay beds of different colors, mostly blue, gray, and yellow. One 
thick bed of clay north of Sioux City overlies the massive cross- 
bedded sandstone which outcrops along the river banks in that 
vicinity. Numerous iron-oxide concretions abound in the clay, as do 
also thin beds of sandstone merging into irregular, sandy iron-oxide 
deposits of variable thickness. Lignite, in thin irregular beds, occurs 
in the ujDper part of the formation, and also at lower levels near 
Jackson and Homer. Mau}^ Avell-preserved leaves are found which 
have been studied and described by various paleontologists. 

The component beds of the Dakota formation in this region are not 
sufficiently continuous, extensive, nor distinctive to afford a basis for 
subdividing the formation into different horizons, yet in the outcrop 
area the following order has been observed, passing downward: 
(1) Porous sandstone Avith root marks, interstratified clays, and 
shale or lignite beds; (2) clay, thin sandstone, and concretionary iron- 
stone beds; (3) massive, cross-bedded sandstone with thin beds 
of clay. 

As the sandstones weather more slowly than the clay beds they often 
form bluffs (see PI. IV, ^1), which extend as a more or less con- 
tinuous escarpment from southeastern Dakota County to a point near 
Ponca. At cut banks along the river and near the mouths of a few 
ravines these bluffs form prominent points and buttresses. The 
topography varies somewhat, the massive sandstone giving sharp out- 
lines and the clay more gradual slopes. Loess and Graneros clay 
often slide down over these outcrops, concealing the beds. 

Section of Dakota .sandstone J miles southeast of Homer, \ehr. 

Feet. 

Thin beds of sandstone and clay, colored by iron IS 

Sandstone, massive, cross-bedded. These beds vary much in texture; 
within a few feet they may jrrade from sand into sandstone and even 
quartzite. The colors are light gray, rusty, and dark 19 



10 MISSOURI VALLFA% NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 

Section o/ Dakota sandstone and overlying Joess at the quarry just northwest of 

Homer, Xebr. 

Feet. 
Loess at top of bluff -jo 

Clay, shaly and oxidized to a yellowish color 2 

Sandstone, light colored, porous, massive, not cross-bedded 7 

Clay, light colored, concretionary o 

Sandstone, much like No. 6 but with root marks in upper part 10 

Clay, light colored, sandy, oxidized; yellowish at places, with hard layers 

of concretionary iron 1 to 12 inches thick 28 

Clay, yellowish, with fewer iron concretions than in No. 3 5 

Sandstone, light colored to rusty, massive, cross-bedded, interstratified 

with thin layers of clay 20 

111 the Ashford well just west of Homer, the lowest bed of the 
above section was not penetrated at a level fully TO feet lower. This 
member of the Dakota formation rises high in the bluffs some G or 7 
miles southeast of Homer. 

Section of Dakota sandstone and glacial clay in the quarry at Jackson, Dakota 

County, Xebr. 

Feet. 

Glacial clay with some sand 3 

Sandstone, rusty i-1 

Sandstone, light colored, loosely cemented 2 

Sandstone, rusty to light colored, friable, in beds 2 to 8 inches thick with 

thin layers of light-colored clay between S 

Clay, sandy, light colored ^ 

Sandstone, light colored, friable 1^ 

Sandstone, clay or sand, varying; color rusty to light 3 

Parts of the stone in this quarry are used for building purposes. 
Several good specimens of leaves were found here. According to the 
re2:>ort of the Avell drillers a thin bed of impure coal lies 30 feet below 
the lowest point in the quarry. 

Record of Mattison's tcell. X.E. i S.W. i sec. 20, T. 31 X., R. 6 E., southeast of 

Ionia, Xebr. 

Feet. 

Shaly limestone 0- 8 

Chalk 8- V2 

Dark shale 12- 45 

Blue clay 45-105 

Soft sandstone 105-277 

Sand and gravel 277-302 

Clay or shale 302-312 

Soft sandstone 312^87 

Gravel 487-517 

BENTON GROUP. 

The Benton group lies between the Dakota and Niobrara formations 
and, as Mr. Darton has shown, is separable in this region into three 
distinct formations, which represent the Graneros shale, the Green- 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



.VATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 215 PL. IV 




A. DAKOTA SANDSTONE ON BANK OF MISSOURI RIVER BELOW MOUTH OF AOWA CREEK. 




/;. GREENHORN LIMESTONE ON GRANEROS SHALE NORTHEAST OF PONCA, NEBR. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ROCKS. 11 

horn limestone, and the Carlile formation of eastern Colorado and 
the Black Hills. 

Graneros shale. — The best exj^osiires of the (xraneros shale are in 
river bluffs below the mouth of the Aowa Creek, above Ponca Land- 
ing, and at the Bigley Ravine, near Ponca. The shale lies on the 
Dakota sandstone and is overlain by the Greenhorn limestone. It 
occurs high in the slopes in Dakota County, and dips gradually to 
the northwest, its base reaching the level of the river about 3 miles 
north of Ponca. The thickness in Dixon Count}^ is from 50 to 00 
feet, while in the Black Hills it varies from 800 to 900 feet. Accord- 
ing to Mr. Burchard " it appears to thin out and disappear southeast 
of Homer, where the Greenhorn limestone lies very close to if not 
directly on the Dakota sandstone. It is composed principally of 
very dark gray to bluish-gray clay or soft shale which grades above 
and below into harder shale. The section at the mouth of Aowa 
Creek (p. 7) shows the usual relations. 

Greenhorn limestone. — This medial member of the Benton group 
lies from 50 to 00 feet above the Dakota sandstone and is 18 to 20 
feet thick, not including a few feet of shaly transition beds above and 
below. The principal rock is fossiliferous limestone with an admix- 
ture of clay and some sand. The upper beds are slabby, highly fos- 
siliferous, and stained Avith iron, while the lower beds are more 
massive and chalky and contain a smaller number of large fossils. 
The formation is characterized b}^ very numerous casts of Inoceramns 
lahiatus (see PI. VI). This limestone was traced from high in the 
hills of southeastern Dakota County to the river level in the Ionia 
section northeast of Newcastle. 

PI. IV, B shows a characteristic outcrop of this limestone. These 
beds weather out like chalk and were formerly mistaken for the Nio- 
brara chalk rock, which, however, occurs at a higher level farther 
west. 

i^ection of Greenhorn limestone and (iftsoeiated beds in cut hank and .slide threr'- 
fourths mile nortlnce.sf of Ponca Landing, Xchr. 

Feet. 
Loess and till 80 

Greenhorn limestone: 

Limestone, weathered, sandy; contains many casts of Inoccranius 

lahiatus 8-0 

Limestone, bluish gray, massive, chalky 10 

Graneros shale : 

Clay, bluish, stratified 20 

Clay, dark or bluish, at places rusty 25-30 

Shale, dark, quite hard 2 

•Geology of Dakota County, Nebr. : Proc. Acad. Sci. of Sioux Citv. Iowa. 1008-4, vol. 1, 
p. 150. 



1*2 MISSOURI VALLEY, NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 

Carlile shale. — This uppermost division of the Benton group begins 
to appear above the Greenhorn limestone in eastern Dixon County 
and thickens westward to 170 feet in northwestern Dixon County to 
over 200 feet at Niobrara, and to 500 to 700 feet in the Bhick Hills. In 
the eastern part of its outcrop area it erodes rapidly, forming sloj^es 
over whicli k^ess and Ghicial drift slide from above, concealing it at 
many points in the bluffs of Dixon County. The base of the forma- 
tion reaches the level of the river just west of the so-called Ionia Vol- 
cano, northwest of Newcastle. The upper surface is about 1^0 feet 
above the river level in sec. 28, T. 32, K. 4 E., 97 feet above at Ver- 
milion Ferry, 71 feet above northeast of St. James, 30 feet above 
north of St. Helena, and reaches the level of the river about \ miles 
beyond the last-named town. Recent slides northeast of Ponca ex- 
pose 8 to 12 feet of Carlile above Greenhorn limestone in the vicinity 
of the ferry. A well-marked line of contact with the Niobrara chalk 
above is shown in PI. V, .1. 

The formation is composed principally of dark-gray and bluish- 
gray stratified clays, with two zones of fossiliferous chalky shale. 
Sandstone beds of variable extent and character generally occur at 
different levels, but usually near the top. as just west of Vermilion 
Ferr}^. Large concretions of carbonate of lime are found above the 
middle of the formation. Drillers in penetrating this formation expe- 
rience difficulty with the hard concretions and sandstone and with the 
thin layers of iron pyrites which also often occur in it. Many fish- 
scales, a large, flat form of Inoceramus. Prionocyclus, Serpida. and 
Ostrea congest a are common fossils. 

A locality in northern Dixon County, in sec. 10, T. 31, R. 5 E., has 
received the name Ionia Volcano. It is simply a bluff of shale in 
which the oxidation of a large amount of iron pyrites often produces 
considerable heat, at times sufficient to give rise to steam and sulphur 
fumes, and even to cause slight baking of the shale. 

Two zones of concretions of carbonate of lime occur in the Carlile 
shale. The lower zone is a continuous one, and its concretions are 
large, lens-shaped forms, 2 to 8 feet long and 1 foot or more thick 
(PI. V, ^). This horizon continues at about 50 feet from the top of 
the formation from high in the slope in sec. 32. T. 32. R. 5 E., to a 
point between St. James and St. Helena, where the dip takes it 
down to the level of the Missouri. The upper zone consists of smaller 
concretions at a less continuous horizon 8 to 10 feet above the first. 
These concretions weather out and fall to the base of a sloj^e, where 
they * crack into irregular pieces. In many of them calcite and 
selenite crystals occur. 

While selenite crystals may be observed throughout the Graneros, 
Carlile, Niobrara, and Pierre, they are most abundant on slopes of 
the Carlile formation, especially at the Ionia Volcano or on other 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVFV 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPfR NO. 215 PL. V 




.1. CARLILE SHALE OVERLAIN BY NIOBRARA NORTHEAST OF JAMES, NEBR. 




B. CALCAREOUS CONCRETIONS IN CARLILE FORMATION WEST OF VERMILION FERRY, 

NEBR. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ROCKS. 18 

blutf.s ill that region, where they are coiiiiiioiily mistaken for mica. 
The}' vary in size from minute needles to li to 3 inches across. They 
originate near the surface from the weathering of the iron pyrites 
scattered through the clay, some of the products of which react with 
lime in solution in percolating waters, forming calcium sulphate 
which crystallizes as selenite. The usual belief that they were formed 
when the strata were deposited and that they occur in large numbers 
throughout the beds is therefore erroneous. 

Section of Carl He shale and associated formations at the Ionia Volcano, in 
northern Dixon County, Xebr. 

Feet. 

Ijoess and till 15-35 

Clay (Carlile), dark, plastic. Contains sulphate of iron, epsom salts, 
selenite crystals, etc., over the surface. Sulphur dioxide fumes 

rise from the clay at one point 112 

Shale, bluish 15 

Limestone, slabby, with fish scales and Inoceramns hthiutus Is 

Altitude of river. 1,11S feet: of top of hill, 1.2()5 feet. 

The lowest bed is a part of the Greenhorn, while the overlying 
bluish shale is a transition to the base of the Carlile. It is promi- 
nently represented in a ravine below the old landing about 1 mile 
away. 

Professor Todd has noted the existence of a thin but very per- 
sistent layer of clay closely resembling bentonite near the middle of 
the Carlile formation. It varies from 1^ to 3 inches thick. At 
Vermilion Ferry it is about 10 feet above the river. At the Ionia 
Volcano it is about 100 feet above the top of the Greenhoi'n beds, and 
it is at same horizon in ravines in the SAV. J sec. 26, T. 31 N., R. 5 E., 
and in a shaft in the SW. i sec. 24 of the same township. It is sug- 
gested that it may originally have been a thin stratum of volcanic 
ash. 

NIOBRARA FORMATION. 

The Niobrara formation lies between the Carlile and the Pierre 
shales and is a conspicuous and characteristic feature of the region. 
It outcrops in the creek slopes of northwestern Dixon County, high 
in the river blurt's just west of Vermilion Ferry, and thence westward 
and northward along Missouri River and its tributaries to the great 
bend of that river in South Dakota. A thickness of about 130 feet 
remains in the hills northeast of St. James. Xebr., while westward at 
the margin of the Pierre shale the total thickness is over 200 feet. 
The easternmost points at which the formation is exposed or found in 
wells are in the SE. i SW. i sec. 32, T. 32 X., R. 5 E., and the W. \ 
sec. 6, T. 29 X., R. 5 E. The dip, which is westerly, is low from St. 
James to Xiobrara, beyond which the upper surface seems to be 
nearly level with perhaps a slight rise in the direction of Chamber- 



14 MISSOURI VALLEY, KORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 

lain. S. Dak. The base of the formation is 97 feet above the river near 
Vermilion Ferry, 71 feet northeast of St. James, and 30 feet at St. 
Helena, a few miles beyond which it passes below the level of the 
river. At the cement works west of Yankton, S. Dak., the npper sur- 
face is fully 140 feet above the river surface, while the base lies a few 
feet below it. 

The formation is composed of lead-gray chalk rock, which weath- 
ers yellowish, Avith a variable admixture of clay and sand. Thin 
limestone beds composed of small Ostrea congesta^ found principally 
in the upper portion, are a characteristic feature (see PI. VI). In 
Cedar County and apparently- at Xiobrara, Knox County, the base 
of the formation is a sandy, hard limestone. The purer chalk beds 
vary from less than 1 inch to as much as G feet in thickness and merge 
into mixtures of chalk and clay in variable proportions. The upper 
surface is usually weathered, leaving a relative^ larger percentage 
of clav, iron, and sand than is found in the more massive beds below. 
In the latter there are nearty vertical joint planes intersecting each 
other at angles of about 90 degrees. Deeply decayed surfaces have 
gypsum plates in the joint and bedding planes, and at places selenite 
crvstals are scattered over the surface. The purer massive chalk is 
of fine grain, porous texture, low specific gravity, and gives a charac- 
teristic dead or hollow sound when struck with a hammer. Its eco- 
nomic value lies in its use for the manufacture of cement and for 
building stone. 

The chalk bluffs of the Missouri present a strikingly barren appear- 
ance and are usually of a conspicuous yellow color. The bluffs have 
a uniform height above the river for a distance of over 200 miles in 
Nebraska and South Dakota, but are notched by many small draws. 
The upper surface of the formation falls to Avithin 8 or 10 feet of- the 
river at Wheeler and Xieveen, S. Dak. For most of the distance, 
from a point 5 miles below Greenwood to Yankton, the Niobrara 
bluff's are prominent on one side of the ri^^er or the other. At a num- 
ber of places slight faults and flexures Avere observed; most of the 
latter occur at the mouths of small ravines and appear to be caused 
by the sAvelling of beds. The steeper slopes are often covered Avith 
splinters of chalk rock broken from the cliffs above. 

Section of Xiohrara limestone and (is-sociated fonnation.<i northeast of St. James, 

Nehr. 

Feet. 

Loess. Rises in hills to an altitude of over 1,400 feet 40-50 

Niobrara chalk, massive, somewhat sandy, and harder in lower beds. 
Base at 1,205 feet above sea level. Rises in hills to an altitude of 1,335 

feet, or a thickness of 130 feet exposed 40-50 

Carlile clay, dark and bluish, with some sand and sandstone. Large cal- 
careous concretions 50 to 55 feet below top. Exposed in slope to river_ 71 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ROCKS. 



15 



Section of Niohrara Jimestone and Pierre f^hale on Bazilc Creek at bend in road 

1 mile south of Bazile Point, Nehr. 
Pierre shale: Feet. 
Carbonaceous clay, dark in bank, lijj^hter on weathered surface, 
which is strewn with selenite crystals and small yellowish con- 
cretions of irrejrular form 6 

Niobrara : 

Weathered chalk, yellowish, with 8 or 4 li^ht-colored streaks 2 inches 

thick and about 1 foot apart, O. eonyesta present 7 

Chalk, beds irregular, sandy, and at places concretionary ; gypsum 
plates occur in bedding and irregular joint planes. Lower beds to 

8 inches thick. O. congesta is the common fossil 8i 

Blue chalk, lower 4 feet in 2 beds; large Inocerami and 0. coti- 
gesta present 8 



Analysis of Niobrara chalk rock. 
[Howison Crouch, analyst.] 





Unweathered 
specimen. 


Weathered 
specimen. 


Moisture 


0.70 

4.52 

3.14 

2.14 

37.80 

49.66 

1.87 

Trace. 


1.11 


SiOo 


6.02 




1.03 


SOs 


.85 


CO2 


37.11 


CaO 


47.98 


FerOa and AI2O3 


5.92 


Mg 


Trace. 








99.86 


100.02 



PIERRE SHALE. 



The Pierre shale is the thickest member of the Cretaceous in Ne- 
braska, varying in thickness from a few feet in northwestern Cedar 
County to over 500 feet in western Boyd County. The base, lying 
on the Niobrara, slopes down slowly from western Cedar County to 
central Knox County, beyond which it is either horizontal or has a 
slight rise westward. The eroded top reaches an altitude of over 
1,900 feet in western Boyd County. At the cement works, 4 miles 
west of Yankton, S. Dak., the Pierre clay just above the Niobrara 
chalk is distinctly crumpled, a feature which may have been caused 
by the ice sheet. 

During Eocene and early Miocene times this region Avas a land 
area eroded into hills and valleys. The Pierre clay was entirely re- 
moved in the eastern part, and on the rough upper surface later Ter- 
tiary and Quaternary deposits were laid down, to be themselves in 
turn partly removed by weathering and erosion. 

The Pierre shale is commonly called " gumbo " and ''soapstone," 
and consists principally of dark and bluish, plastic, and finely strati- 
fied clays. It carries lenses of limestone, and beds of shale, impure 
chalk, and thin layers of concretionary ironstone. At its base there is 



16 MISSOURI VALLEY, NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 

a dark carbonaceous clay, resembling coal, which is exposed along the 
Missouri, beginning in irregular lenses near Chamberlain, S. Dak., 
and extending as a continuous, well-marked horizon from a few miles 
farther down the river to eastern Knox County. At the latter place 
it contains, near the middle, an admixture of whitish clay, resembling 
fuller's earth and var^ang in thickness from 10 to 30 feet or more. 
The next horizon above is made up of dark and bluish plastic clays 
with thin seams of iron ore. Above this are alternating beds of shaly 
chalk and clay, the former weathering reddish ; these chalky beds are 
often mistaken for Niobrara chalk. The highest beds of the Pierre, 
as observed in Boyd County, are bluish clay w^ith some concretions of 
iron ore. The sections on page IT give the strata more in detail. 

The Pierre shale in this region is not rich in fossils. A few Inoc- 
erami^ shark's teeth, and mososaur remains were observed by the 
w^riter. Mr. R. F. Stout, Center, Xebr., has collected from Pierre 
chalky beds about 72 vertebrae, the paddle bones, and pieces of ribs 
of a very large mososaur. He also secured crocodile bones and a 
number of Belemnitella. 

The beds do not rise steeplj^ in bluffs but, w^eathering rapidly, form 
rolling hills and long slopes. A typical hilly country of Pierre shale 
lies between Santee and Herrick in what is called the Devil's Nest. 
The hills, though usually either grass-covered or farmed w^here not 
too rough, show light to dark bands at different levels. This appear- 
ance is due to the alternation of beds, the chalky deposits causing light 
bands, the chalk stained with iron giving rise to yellowish soil, and 
the dark clays and iron-bearing beds giving brownish and dark 
streaks. 

In the high ridge just north of Niobrara River and southeast of 
Spencer, certain hard beds at different levels cause flat summits or a 
series of irregular steps rising from east to w^est. The topography of 
the different zones of the PieiTe is Avell show^n along Bazile Creek, 
which has a grade of about 400 feet in 24 miles. Gradual clay slopes 
extend from altitude 1,560 to about 1,500 feet; steeper, chalky slopes 
W'ith a narrow^er valley extend from altitude 1,500 to 1,400 feet; Avhile 
the clays below give more gentle slopes and a wider valley doAvn to 
about 1,280 feet, at wdiich altitude the Niobrara chalk begins and 
bluffs prevail. 

A very noticeable feature, especially in northern Holt County, is 
the presence along Niobrara River and its tributary creeks of many 
landslides, caused by the infiltration of ground water through joints 
in the clays, rendering them plastic. Fully 50 slides may be seen 
along Eagle Creek, between Turner and Ray, where Pierre clay rises 
from GO to 100 feet in the slopes. At John Dolin's place, in sec. 26, 
T. 32, R. 11, a slide formed in 1893 has a length of 20 rods and ver- 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ROCKS. 17 

tical displacement of from 50 to 100 feet. It completely clammed 
Eagle Creek, causing the channel to shift several rods southward. 

Section of Pierre -shale along IJazile Creek ] mile southeast of MaekryviUc, \rbr. 

Feet. 

Bluish clay with flakes of iron oxide on surface 70 

Dark, carbonaceous clay which, at places, is chalky, extending:: below the 

water in the creek 12 

Section of Pierre shale and Xiohrara limestone south of the Missouri River and 
3 miles west of Fort Randall, S. Dak. 

Pierre shale : Feet. 

Clay with ironstone over surface: some selenite above lo 

Clay, yellowish, chalky, varies in character from massive, impure 
chalk to large concretions of chalk and clay. Dark, flat concre- 
tions occur at base 11 

Clay, very dark: carbonaceous with thin, light-colored seams at base: 
definitely jointed, standing as buttresses, between which it weathers 
into ami)hitheater-like recesses : surface lighter where weathered ; 
gypsum flour and selenite in .joint and bedding plains. Lemon-yel- 
low concretions occur near top of beds 28 

Niobrara : 

Chalk, weathered above, darker below: with few fossils 40 

Section of Pierre shale and orrrli/irig deposits, one-half mile northeast of Center, 

\ebr. 

Feet. 

Loess 4 

Sandy sloi)e 

Pebbles and gravel, then fine sand and glacial pebbles at base 30 

Pierre shale : 

Dark clay, somewhat chalky when dry 1^ 

Light buff-colored clay, bedding not plain, showing gypsum flour and 

small selenite crystals in joint and bedding plains 4A 

Clay, light, blue, or dark at places: chalky and hard. Rosettes of 
selenite common over upper 2 feet. Gypsum flour in cracks: crys- 
tals in joint and betiding plains 19 

Clay, dark gray 2 

Clay, dark, plastic, with 3 to 6 inch zone of oxidized iron concretions 
32 feet below top. This clay seems to extend below the creek. Ex- 
posed 45 

Section of Pierre shale above the Whitiny Bridge. 7 milm southeast of Spencer, 

\('hr. 

Feet. 
Clay, dark, plastic, with thin seams «)f iron 17u 

Yellowish clay, darker where not weathennl, with s^.mie iK>rtions bluish__ 40 

Chalky be<ls, at places hard enough for l>uilding purpo.<es 2 

Alternating dark shale and clay: the shaly beds stand out as buttresses 30 

Altitude of river. 1,502 feet: top of sloi)e. 1,750 feet. 

30! n—in u 21 .".— ( K 2 



18 MISSOURI VALLEY, NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 

TERTIARY SYSTEM. 

Two formations of later Tertiary age occur in this region : one is 
tlie Arikaree, which has a wide range over western Nebraska and 
adjacent States; the other, which has no name, consists of certain 
stratified sands and chiys found in Holt, Knox, and Cedar counties. 

ARIKAREE FORMATION. 

The Arikaree formation is composed of grayish sand and sandy 
clays, with local beds of sandstone, qnartzite, conglomerate, and fresh- 
water limestone, which, in the table-lands of Boyd, Holt, and Knox 
counties, are 100 feet or more thick. From these nearly level areas 
the formation thins on the slopes and ridges toward and between the 
streams. Certain outliers in the eroded areas give rise to buttes of 
more or less prominence. Originally the formation extended over 
all of the western part of the region to wdiich this report relates and 
well into Cedar County and perhaps farther east, but by subsequent 
erosion it has been wddely removed, leaving only a few^ remnants, cap- 
ping buttes on some of the northwest-southeast trending ridges to the 
east. 

The sandy portion of the formation is in part unconsolidated, the 
grains usually being feebly cemented by a small amount of calcium 
carbonate. AVhere there is more complete cementation there are local 
beds of sandstone which generally show cross-bedding. In several 
cases the rock contains pebbles. In most of the buttes there occurs 
a hard, greenish sandstone or quartzite with a silicious cement, identi- 
cal Avith that found in the Bijou Hills of South Dakota and at Wood- 
ruff, Kans. These hard beds do not occur at definite levels, the nature 
and kind of the rock often changing within a few feet. 

Xot man}^ fossils are found in the Arikaree formation. Silicified 
w^ood is abundant on the place of Andrew Lukup, southw^est of 
Verdigre. Several mammalian bones have been found about the 
buttes, but the Avriter saw^ only one bone of that class embedded in 
the rock. The most conspicuous outcrops are in the well-knowm 
TAvin Buttes, 10 miles west of Butte, Boyd County (PL YII, A), 
and Stony Butte, 2 miles southwest of Verdel, Knox County. Twin 
Buttes, 2,060 feet in altitude, are so prominent that they can be 
seen for many miles, even from points in South Dakota bej^ond 
Missouri River. From the top of the southeast butte, w^hich rises 
over 100 feet above the plain, a good idea can be gained of the 
former extension of the Arikaree table-iand north in Dakota, Avest in 
Keyapaha County, and south in Holt County. The altitude of Stony 
Butte is about 1,700 feet; in it the Pierre clay is capped by 25 feet 
of Arikaree formation, the latter being composed of cross-bedded 
sandstone and quartzite, AA'ith a small amount of sand at the base. As 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 215 PL. VII 




A. ONE OF THE TWIN BUTTES, BOYD COUNTY. NEBR. 




B. KNOLLKEMPER DAM, TURNER, HOLT COUNTY, NEBR. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ROCKS. 19 

this sand crumbles out or washes away, the hard beds above are un- 
dermined and break into large pieces or bowlders which scatter over 
the Pierre slope below. 

kiection of Tertiary deposits in bluffs northeast of Badger Bridge, Boyd County, 

Nebr. 

Feet. 
Sand and gravel in slope 38 

Sandstone, quartzitic, greenish to light, cross-bedded, weathers to light 
color 2 

Sandy loam, grayish, light on surface, darker in bank; not plainly strati- 
fied; contains in ui)per part hard concretions G to 8 inches in diame- 
ter. These break into irregular pieces showing dendritic structure 7 

Loam, grayish, sandy, weathers to a yellowish or buff color, resembling 

loess; lies on Pierre shale at an altitude of 1,800 feet 62 

Section of Tertiary deposits at the southeast Ticin Butte, Boyd County, Xehr. 

Feet. 
Sandstone; 3 feet top of grayish to greenish and quartzitic, the rest fria- 
ble, cross-bedded, and showing plant-like tubes 10-15 

Gray sand 5-10 

I'orous rock consisting of sand and pebbles in a limy matrix 0-10 

Clayey sand, greenish in beds, grayish on surface 90V 

In a field just north, and at the top of the bluffs along Keyapaha 
River, this lower sand is underlain by a bed of greenish quartzite, 
beneath which is a bed of loam lying on Pierre clay. 

PLIOCENE DEPOSITS. 

At the close of Arikaree time the region was extensiveh^ eroded by 
drainage, which for a while at least flowed from northwest to south- 
east. A few remnants of the deposits of these old, high-level streams 
may be seen extending southeast across Gregory County, S. Dak., and 
at other points farther west. The longer axes of the buttes of Arik- 
aree formation in Boyd County extend in the .same direction. Parts 
of northeastern Nebraska were considerably eroded at this time, but 
finally received the sand and gravel deposits which are thickest to 
the east and south. The old channels extending across Knox and 
Cedar counties and described by Prof. J. E. Todd " may have been 
outlined at that time, for they appear to be related to the old chan- 
nels farther northwest. Old A^alleys connect Ponca Creek and Nio- 
brara River in sees. 25. 2('k and ^Ck T. 34 R. U. and south of the buttes 
near Butte. Sand}- gravel-caj^ped ridges trending northwest-south- 
east, with intervening dry valleys, occur at various places, notably 
soutliAvest of Butte. 

The so-called Pliocene deposits consist principally of stratified sand 
with some gravel and clay, which comes to the surface in southeastern 

" Todd, .T. E.. Moraines of southeastern South Dakota : Bull. U. S. Geol. Survey No. 

158, 1890. pp. OUGl. 



20 MISSOURI VALLEY, NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 

Holt and southwestern Knox counties and lies beneath loess and gla- 
cial drift in much of Knox and Cedar counties. The best typical ex- 
j)Osures occur in the Devils Nest region between Santee and Herrick, 
where a thickness of 50 to 100 feet has been observed. The relations 
of these beds to the Arikaree drift and loess has not been fully ascer- 
tained: while the}^ are usually described under the name Pliocene 
it seems highly probable that the accumulation of much of the forma- 
tion so characterized extended well into Quaternary time. 

Q U A 'I' K R N A K V S Y ST p: :M . 

Deposits belonging to this system consist of glacial drift, loess, allu- 
vium, and dune sand. 

GLACIAL DRIFT. 

The drift is composed of irregular masses of boAvlder clay and of 
sand and gravel beds with an admixture of bowlders at places, these 
materials having been carried to the region by the glacial ice sheet 
and streams. The bowlder clay is exposed lying on the Cretaceous 
and Tertiary deposits at various points along the deeper valWs, and 
is reached in wells at a number of places; it frequently contains north- 
ern ]Debbles and bowlders. Gravel and sand beds are of wide extent 
under the loess ; they rise to an altitude of over 1,600 feet in north- 
western Knox County, wdiere they mix Avith somewdiat similar mate- 
rials of western origin. Along some of the principal streams the 
gravel beds appear as a terracelike cap. BoAvlders occurring in con- 
nection Avith the gravel are found along the streams and on hill slopes 
in Knox and Cedar counties, where, as a result of undermining, they 
fall or roll to lower levels: one of the most conspicuous deposits ex- 
tends from 1 to 3 miles north of Hartington. In Dixon and Dakota 
counties they seem to be buried beneath the loess and to be in small 
numbers, as Avell drillers rarely find them. The Avestern limit of 
northern drift extends from near Verdel soutliAvard along Verdigris 
Creek. 

LOESS. 

This important surface formation, often called the l^luff deposit, 
extends over most of Nebraska east and south of the sand hills, and 
into loAva, Missouri, Kansas, and other States. It is composed of 
fine sand and clay particles and contains a small amount of calcium 
carbonate Avhich holds the grains together loosely. The nearly uni- 
versal buff color is due to the presence of a small amount of yelloAV 
oxide of iron. The thickness A^aries from a fcAv feet to oA^er 100 feet. 
Its most noticeable feature is the uniformity of porous texture and 
massiA^e structure throughout, with only occasional traces of strati- 
fication. In Avestern Knox County the loess l^ecomes sandy or 
changes to a loesslike silt. A close examination of a loess bluff shoAvs 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ROCKS. 21 

faint vertical cleavage and usually the presence of small, light-col- 
ored, irregular concretions. Very small shells, usually of land forms, 
occur at many localities. 

The origin of the loess is still a disputed question, some geologists 
holding that it is a wind deposit, while others claim that it has been 
deposited in water. From its character and relations in this region, 
it seems probable that the principal agency has been wind, but the 
deposits were locally modified by water. 

The eastern part of the area described in this report has a hilly 
loess topography. Near Ponca many vertical slips due to the verti- 
cal jointing were oliserved in the hills, where they are locally called 
" cat steps." The vertical displacement causes the formation to slide 
over and cover banks in which older formations occur. "NATiere the 
talus is removed from l)elow by a stream or other agent, nearly ver- 
tical loess blurt's result. 

Near Cook Creek, close to the east side of the Santee Indian Reser- 
vation, a loess escarpment begins as a blurt' rising from 100 to '200 
feet above the Cretaceous clays in the Devils Xest below. This high 
ridge extends southeastward and then curves northeastward to a high 
hill -1 or 5 miles southwest of St. Helena. The noticeable feature 
is that the slope is southward from the brink of this escarpment. 
The loess similarly slopes away from the brink of the Missouri Valley 
just south of Vermilion Landing. Cedar County. 

ALLUVITJM. 

Alluvial deposits composed of sand, clay, and some gi'avel, floor 
the principal valleys. These deposits have also been called valley 
wash and bottom land, while their upper surface is referred to as a 
flood plain. Level areas of the same nature but somewhat higher, 
are called benches or alluvial terraces. The alluvial flats along Mis- 
souri River vary in width from about 2 to over 10 miles, being widest 
along Dixon and Dakota counties ; between Jackson and Homer they 
form the extensive bottom lands. 

Alluvial materials comprise flood-plain and alluvial-fan deposits. 
The former have been deposited principally by the Missouri, while 
the latter, which are well shown between Ionia and Ponca, have been 
carried from adjacent sloi)es by weak tributaries, and scattered over 
the flood plain at the mouths of ravines. The thickness of the allu- 
vium averages much greater than the depth of the river channel; a 
thickness of 185 feet is reported in the Joseph Holtzbauer well near 
Aten. 

The bottom lands along the Niobrara average from one-half to 
three-fourths mile wide and are very sandy. Nearly all of the smaller 
streams flow on narrow beds of alluvium. 



22 MISSOUKI VALLEY, NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 

DUNE SAND. 

Ill certain areas the ^Yind has blown Arikaree, Pliocene, and allu- 
vial sands into small dunes or sand hills. The principal area lies 
south of Xiobrara River, and is from 5 to 8 miles wide, extending 
from the western part of Holt County to near Bazile Creek. A few 
small '' blow-outs '^ occur on the highland west of the town of Vercli- 
gre. Low sandy ridges, extending in a northwest-southeast direction, 
occur at several points in Knox and Cedar counties; they were formed 
earlier than the dunes on the alluvial flats. At a number of places the 
loess is completely covered by drifting sands. A few small dunes are 
foiuid on the Logan Creek bottom, near Laurel. 

ECONOMIC GEOLOGY. 

MINERAL RESOURCES. 
BRICK CLAY. 

Cretaceous clays and the loess are used successfully in the manu- 
facture of brick. Twelve brickyards were operating in the region in 
1903. 

SAND AND GRAVEL. 

Building sand in unlimited amounts is found along Niobrara 
and Missouri rivers, and is plentiful in the Tertiary and Quaternary 
formations. The principal loading station is at Stewart, Holt 
County, where the sand is scooped onto cars and sent out by train- 
loads. Gravel suitable for ballast occurs in terraces and in the glacial 
deposits at many places. Glacial bowlders have been used as foun- 
dation materials. 

BUILDING STONE. 

No very attractive and durable stone is found in northeastern Ne- 
braska, and that available occurs under unfavorable conditions. 
The stone most used is the greenish Arikaree quartzite described on 
page 18. It is hard and fairly durable, but works in poor form, as 
the dej^osits are of very irregular character. It is quarried in most 
oi the stony buttes and at a few^ loAver levels, and is used principally 
for foundations and milldams. Most of this material is obtained (1) 
from many places in northern Holt County, as at Eay and Turner, 
Avhere it is found in residual bowlders; (2) at John Vicknish's quarry, 
near Ray; (3) northeast of Badger Bridge; (4) in the A^icinity.of 
Twin Buttes; (5) just south of the town of Butte; (6) 3 miles north 
and one-half mile west of Spencer; (7) at the Stumbo quarry, in 
sec. 20, T. 33, R. 10 W., betw^een Lynch and Gross; (8) on the divide 
south of Monowi ; (9) on Stony Butte, 2 miles south of Verdel ; (10) 
G miles southwest of Vercligre; (11) on the divide between Verdigre 



MINERAL RESOUECES. 23 

and Center, and (1*2) 2 miles southwest of Aten. The quartzite is 
excellent for concrete work and it would make very fair ballast if 
crushed. 

The Greenhorn limestone is used somewhat for foundations, and 
the Niobrara chalk, thousrh soft, serves fairly well as a building ma- 
terial whei'e it can be placed above ground water. In some houses 
it has stood over twenty years with little sign of decay. The Menom- 
inee Church, in northern Cedar County, and the house of C. D. Buhro, 
sec. 20. T. 32. R. 2 W.. Knox County, are good examples of this. 

The lens of limestone in the Pierre formation 7 miles northwest of 
Verdigre has been used to some extent as a source of building stone, 
but there is only a limited supply of it and considerable stripping is 
necessary. 

At Jackson. Homer, and a point 5 miles southeast of Homer, a fair 
grade of sandstone is found in the Dakota, but the conditions for 
quarrying are not favoraljle. 

CEMENT ROCK. 

A large portion of the chalk rock of the Niobrara formation is 
suitable for cement manufacture and. with the growing demand for 
Poi-tland cement, the production of this material may prove profitable 
in northeastern Nebraska. It is now manufactured extensively across 
the river in South Dakota, in mills located 4 miles west of Yankton 
and IJ miles noith of the river. The plant has been running thirteen 
years, supplying cement to South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and other 
States: the output is 300 barrels a day. with 60 men working. The 
materials used average about 4 parts of Niobrara chalk to 1 part of 
Pieri-e clay. The top of the chalk here is weathered and has to be 
stripped to a depth of about 15 feet. The chalk and clay are mined 
or quarried, crushed together, thoroughly mixed, and then carried 
by water slushes to drying vats, where the mixture is dried by solar 
heat, and separated into blocks. Then come kiln burning, final grind- 
ing, and preparation for shipment. A view of the works is shown in 
PL VIII. J. 

The formations worked at Yankton are exposed in Nebraska along 
Missouri River from Dixon County to northern Boyd County and 
afford a vast supply of the raw materials. The principal factors to 
he considered in the establishment of a plant. I^esides the presence of 
suitable cement materials, are the condition in which they are found 
so as to avoid waste in quarry strippings. the water supply, fuel, and 
a suitable location, especially in relation to transportation facilities. 
All of these conditions except cheap fuel exist at many places on the 
Nebraska side of the river. At Niobrara the chalk rock is of good 
quality and in large supply, and this place is favorably situated for 
railroads and river transportation: artesian water and a suitable loca- 



24 MISSOURI VALLEY, NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 

lion for a plant can also be had. A view of an outcrop at this place 
is shown in PI. VIII. B. 

COAL.'^ 

For nearly fifty years there has been more or less prospecting for 
coal in northeastern Nebraska, but tlie results have been most unsat- 
isfactory. Near l\)nca Landino-, froui 10 to 18 inches of an inferior 
grade of lignite is found in the basal portion of the Graneros shale, 
and it has been worked in a limited way. Xear Jackson two holes 
were recently sunk, which found two thin beds of lignite in the 
Dakota. In a high bank southeast of Homer a thin bed of lignite 
rises So feet above the river. Paying quantities of coal are not to be 
expected in this region. The following analyses of Dakota County 
lignite, by ^Ir. E. F. Burchard. may l)e of interest in this connection: 

Anahjfiis of air-dried lir/nitr from near Jnclson. Xehr., at a deittli of (I'l feet. 

IE. F. Burchard. analyst.] 

Water 4.03 

Volatile matter ol. 40 

Fixed carbon 33. 66 

Ash 10. 91 

lou. 00 
Sulphm* undetermined. 

Analysi'i of air-dried lignite from shaft near Jaekson, Xehr.. depth 82 feet, 
[E. F. Burchard. analyst.] 

Water 0.47 

Volatile matter 27. 24 

Fixed carbon 49.27 

Ash IG. 23 

Sulphur . 86 

100.07 

PEAT. 

While there has been no development of peat as a source of fuel in 
any i)art of the area, it seems probable that it may be found in con- 
siderable quantities in some of the bogg}' basins. One of the localities 
that should be investigated is the basin of Perrin Creek, in Cedar 
County. 

VOLCANIC ASH. 

Volcanic a.sh beds which may yet prove of some importance occur 
in Holt. Knox, and Dixon counties. 

" Extended accounts of the lignites of Dakota County are given by E. F. Burchard in 
Contributions to economic geology for 100."] : Bull. U. S. Geol. Survey No. '22o. 1004, pp. 
276-2S8 ; and in Geology of Dakota County, Nebr. : Proc. Acad. Sci, and Letters of Sioux 
City, 1903-4, vol. 1, p. 150. 



S. GEOl OGICAL SURV 




.1. CEMENT PLANT NEAR YANKTON, S. DAK. 









mm. 


1^.^:*^ -:-:;'^-^^ 


'gu^ k „!tP^^^b^ • 



/; NIOBRARA FORMATION JUST WEST OF NIOBRARA, NEBR. 



SURFACE WATERS. 25 

WATER RESOURCES. 
GENERAL STATEMENT. 

Of the water which falls upon the land, part runs off into surface 
streams, j)art evaporates, and i)ai't is absorbed by the land and by 
plant growth. The pi'oportions vary with the rainfall, soil texture, 
geologic structure, and topography, the volume of rainfall being the 
most important factor. In northeastern Nebraska the rainfall varies 
considerably in the different counties, with a general diminution 
from east to west, the normal annual precipitation ranging from 27 
to 28 inches in Dakota, Dixon, and Cedar counties to less than 23 
inches in parts of Boyd and northern Plolt counties. Mr. George A. 
Loveland, meteorologist at the University of Nebraska, gives the 
following data : 

Normal annual precipitation at Agee, Holt County, 23.87 inches; Lynch, Boyd 
County, 23.83 inches; Santee, Knox County, 22.78 inches; Hartington, Cedar 
County, 27.53 inches; Elk Point, South Dakota, 27.01 inches. The maximum 
amount of rainfall is in May and .Tune, or during the growing season. Nothing 
definite is known concerning the amount of evai)oration from different soil sur- 
faces in this section. The maximum evaporation is during June, July, and 
August. 

The absorbent power of the soil is greatest in the loess and sandy 
areas which occupy much of the area. On certain clayey soils on 
steep slopes the run-off is large, notably on some of the Pierre lands. 
Water absorbed and collected in the soil is called ground water; it 
mdves slowly doAvnward until it reaches some impervious layer, above 
which it accumulates in varying amounts, in many areas completely 
filling or saturating thick beds of sand. The ground water moves 
slowly from higher to lower regions, at a rate which is greatest in 
coarse or porous beds. Heavy rains raise the upper surface of the 
ground water, while long dry spells, when evaporation is greatest, 
lower it. 

A few lakes in the sand hills north of Turner show well this rise 
and fall of the water table, filling up during wet weather and dis- 
appearing at dry times. During the dry years 1893 to 1895 the water 
table lowered very perceptibly, while during 1903 it rose and 
numerous new springs appeared at the surface. The ground wjiter 
also is' the source of the shallow wells' supply. 

SURFACE WATERS. 
STREAMS. 

The Missouri River carries a large volume of water, and although 
its grade is less than 1 foot to the mile it flows rapidly. It is 
important as a source of water for drinking, domestic purj)()ses, and 
stock. Many persons drink the turbid water as it comes from the 



26 MISSOURI VALLEY, NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 

river, but in most cases it is settled in vats before using. While it 
ali'ords a good supply of stock water, many cattle and a few horses 
are lost each year by falling into the river at caving banks. These 
unfortunate animals rarely escape, for, although they gain a footing 
at some sloping bank, they usually can not climb out, and finally die 
from exhaustion. The Missouri is also an important avenue for 
transportation by means of steamers of small size, which carry grain, 
stock, lumber, and passengers. 

Niobrara River receives most of its water from springs at the base 
of the Arikaree formation. The following discharge measurements 
were made near the village of Niobrara : 

Discharge, in second-feet, of Xiobrara River near Xiohrara, Nehr. 



Date. 


Hydrographer. 


Discharge. 


April 6, 1901 

April 7, 1901 -- 




0. V. P. Stout 

do 


1,591 
2,115 


May 11, 1902 

July 6, 1902 


J. C. Stevens 

do 


1,637 
2,021 
1,401 


July 25, 1902 


do 


August 21, 190-' .- 


— <■» 


1,106 







The stream is shallow and relatively swift, flowing among many 
sand bars. The water is not deep enough for boating. In this sec- 
tion the soutli slopes are usually sandy, while those on the north are 
clayey and very steep. Except for stock and locally for domestic 
purposes the water is not extensively utilized. 

Ponca Creek is a weak stream in a large basin. It heads in south- 
central South Dakota, in many broad, shallow valleys which carry 
but little water. 

Many water powers available in this region could be utilized to 
advantage. While power sites are found in each county, the most 
favorable conditions prevail in Knox and in the northern part of 
Holt County, where the powers are mostly on the smaller or spring- 
fed streams, which are not much affected either by floods or dry 
weather; these have steep grades and keep open most of the winter. 
As the country becomes more populous there will be increasing de- 
mand for water power, which is little used now except to run a few 
flouring and grist mills. 

SPRINGS. 

Springs are an important water resource in all the counties, afford- 
ing most of the local water supply. The principal horizons from 
which they flow are (1) between the Tertiary sands and the Pierre 
clay, (2) between Glacial drift and the Pierre, and (3) from the 
Dakota sandstone. 

The porous Arikaree formation contains a large supply of ground 
water which sinks to the impervious Pierre clay, along the toj) of 



UNDERGROUND WATERS. • 27 

which it flows until it reaches the surface on the hill slopes. This 
condition is shown by the existence of frequent springs at the base of 
the Arikaree sands, whence the water floAvs out over the clay slopes 
below. This horizon lies high on the slopes in the western parts of 
Holt and Boyd counties and somewhat lower in lOiox. In all cases 
the same general conditions prevail — an impervious bed checking the 
downward motion of water accumulating in a porous formation, and 
a lateral flow to the surface. The water from a series of springs often 
collects into a flowing stream, but, on the other hand, soil often 
chokes or checks the flow, especially in pasture lands where cattle and 
horses assist the process b}^ tramping. During exceptionally humid 
years, ground vrater reaches the surface at additional places, pro- 
ducing transient springs. These are often called wet-weather springs, 
and are evidence of extensive seepage not far back in the slope which, 
by suitable trenching, can often be opened so as to furnish a perma- 
nent flow. Sometimes a short horizontal well or tuixnel will reach a 
13ermanent supply. Where the formation is not too sandy the same 
result can be accomplished by boring and drilling. 

Bogg}^ places, where the ground water seeps to the surface, occur 
along certain streams in each county. The springs coming from the 
Dakota sandstone are, in part at least, seepage from the artesian 
waters, a portion of which reaches the surface in the eastern part of 
the area to which this report relates. 

UNDERGROUND WATERS. 
SHALLOW WELLS. 

ShalloAv Avells, like most springs, draw their supply from the 
ground water. The amount of water which a well will afford within 
a given time depends on a number of conditions, the principal one of 
which is the nature of the pervious bed. Thoroughly saturated grav- 
els and coarse sands deliver wat^r faster than fine sand. As water is 
pumped from the well the surface of the w^ater lowers, but this is 
slow and hardly perceptible in cases where the materials are coarse 
and there is an abundance of water. It is desirable, therefore, to find 
water-bearing beds of coarse sand or gravel, and material of this sort 
prevails at most localities in this region. The water from the Cre- 
taceous formations is generally bad, except that from the Dakota sand- 
stone, and even this is often charged with mineral matter. The 
Tertiary and Quaternary deposits generally yield a suitable supply 
of water of good quality. Wells, except the deeper tubulars, vary in 
de})th from a few feet to between 200 and 300 feet, and in diameter 
from 2 inches to several feet. They are cased with wood, brick, tile, 
cement, stone, and iron pipe, the first named being mostly used, and 
the last named being used in driven wells. Wells are dug, drilled, 
bored, and driven. The water level in most shallow wells is affected 



28 MISSOURI VALLEY, NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 

somewhat by weather changes. Those on the Missouri bottom, when 
near the river, seem to fluctuate somewhat with the flood and low- 
water stages of the river. 

ARTESIAN WELLS. 

Arte.^imi conditions. — The entire area treated in this report is un- 
derhiin by the water-bearing Dakota sandstone, Avhich yields artesian 
wells in many districts. Part of this w^ater comes to the surface in 
numerous springs in Dixon and Dakota counties, but to the west it 
lies at depths gradually increasing to 1,500 feet or more. The source 
cf this water is in the Black Hills and the Rocky Mountains, where 
the Dakota and associated sandstones are extensively exposed. Thence 
this sandstone dips eastward beneath later Cretaceous clays, but it 
comes to the surface along Big Sioux River, in Iowa, and also ak)ng 
Missouri River beloAv Ponca, Xebr. The sandstone is porous, and also 
thick enough to receive and carry large amounts of water. The sup- 
ply is gathered in the mountain areas and flows very slowly through 
the sandstone to the lower regions east, where (as, for instance, along 
the valleys and lower lands of Nebraska and South Dakota) part of 
it comes to the surface through springs and artesian wells. An im- 
portant factor is the thick mass of impervious clay and shale over- 
lying the water horizon and preventing its escape in the Avide area 
of plains between the mountains and the Missouri. Such beds overlie 
the Dakota sandstone as far east as Ionia, Xebr., in the river valley 
and somewhat farther on the highlands. Talus slopes, glacial clays, 
and fine sands aid greatly in checking the free escape of water in 
the eastern outcropping area. Owing to the high altitude of the gath- 
ering grounds on the mountain slopes, 4,000 to 5,000 feet, and the low 
altitude of the region east, the water is under such pressure or head 
that it flows slowly eastw^ard through the porous sandstone. 

The Carboniferous beds which underlie northeastern Nebraska 
carry artesian water, but at a considerable depth. This horizon w^as 
reached in wells at Sioux City, Iowa, and at Ponca, Xebr. 

The sandstone of the Carlile formation carries artesian water and 
yields the Aveak '' pencil ■' flow^ or " straw " flow of Knox and Cedar 
counties. Some of the artesian springs farther up the ri^^er may issue 
from this horizon. 

Chemical composition of artesian water. — The chemical composi- 
tion of artesian water seems to vary someAvhat Avitli the different 
flows and localities. The most common mineral compounds present 
are sulphates of soda, lime, and magnesia, chloride of sodium, and 
iron, all usually in small amount. There is only a trace of organic 
impurity. 

The folk)AA'ing analysis of AA'ater from the small school aa'cII, Santee, 
Xebr., AA^as made by Prof. Robert O. Riggs : 



UNDERGROUND WATERS. 29 

Analysis of water of small school ivcll, Santee, Nebr. 

Parts per million. 

Silica (SiO.) 

Alnminnm (Al) 2.1 

Calcium (Ca) 242 

Magnesium (Mg) 48 

Sodiimi (Na) 87 

Potassium (K) ^ 29 

Sulphate radicle (SO4) 733 

Carbonate radicle (CO3) 84 

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3) 68 

Chlorine (CI) 55 

1, 357 
Total solids 1, 360 

The iron was not determined but there is more of it in the Avater 
of this well than in that of the large school well. 

Pressure. — Owing to the elevated source of waters in the Dakota 
sandstone, these would be under great pressure under the lowlands 
east were it not for the leakage in the outcrop area which causes 
the " head " to gradually decrease from west to east. The pressure 
or head is of great practical importance, for it determines the height 
to which the w^ater will rise, and consequently the area within which 
artesian flows are to be expected. This area, deduced from observed 
pressures, is shown in PI. IX (in pocket). As the Dakota is composed 
of alternating beds of sandstone and clay which often are distinct, 
there are different flows, called " first," " second," " third," etc., wdiich 
have different pressures or heads, usually greatest in the low^est. This 
is because there is freer leakage from the upper than from the lower 
sandstone horizon. 

In northeastern Dixon County there is no pressure in the upper 
sandstone beds of the Dakota formation and only enough in the 
lower beds to raise water a few feet above the level of Missouri River. 
Farther west, in northwestern Dixon County and northern Cedar 
County, the pressure is so small in the upper beds that the flow is not 
strong, but at lower levels a greater pressure is found. 

At Niobrara the pressure is strong enough to force water about 210 
feet above the mouth of the Mill well, or to an altitude of 1,450 feet. 
As above explained, the pressure and head increase from east to west, 
and if it were not for the fact that the rise of the country is usually 
more rapid in that direction than the general increase gradient of the 
water head, artesian water could be obtained over a much greater area. 
As it is flowing w^ells are obtainable only in the valleys. At Lynch, 
at an altitude of about 1,392 feet, there is a ^^losed pressure of 85 
pounds to the square inch. Allowing a head per pound of "Ih feet (the 
height of a 1-inch column of water weighing one pound), the water 
would rise in a pipe 198 feet above the mouth of the well, or to an 



30 MISSOURI VALLEY, NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 

altitude of over 1.590 feet. As the well is 923 feet deep there is suffi- 
cient pressure to raise water in all 1,121 feet. Dividing 1,121 by 2i 
we find that the pressure at the bottom of the well is 480^ pounds 
per square inch. 

In the Rosebud Agency well farther northwest, in South Dakota, 
the artesian water raises to an altitude of 2,000 feet. Different wells 
in a given locality may show different pressures. The variations 
may be due to one or more of the following conditions: (1) Dif- 
ference in the horizon of the flow, the pressure being greater with 
deeper flows; (2) escape of water outside of the casing; (3) leaks 
in the casing due to rust; (4) difference in altitude of mouths of 
wells; (5) choking of flows by sand or clay; (6) proximity of w^ells 
causing local interference and decrease below the average pressure; 
(7) short, loose, or broken casing permitting leakage from a lower 
sandstone into an upper one. 

Temperature of artesian icater. — In a given locality the tempera- 
ture is highest in the deeper wells. There is a gradual decrease 
eastward from over 80° F. in the deep well at Lynch to 54° in one 
of the Ryan wells in the northern part of Dixon County. It has 
been observed that the shallow artesian wells Avith weak pressure 
have about the same temperature as springs. 

Construction and care of wells. — It was noted that in many cases 
but little care had been taken in the selection of proper sites and in 
the construction of wells in northeastern Nebraska. Some wells have 
been drilled on land too high for a flow, even when a lower position 
would have been just as convenient to the owner. Some wells on 
moderately high lands, which did obtain feeble flows, have since 
ceased flowing. Wells should be carefully cased, and the casing 
should fit tightly into cap rock and permit no leakage. Below the 
cap rock perforated pipe should be used for a part of the distance 
at least to prevent sand choking the end of the casing. In too many 
instances there is not enough casing, and it is often so loose that 
water flows outside of it to the surface. It is best to use double 
casing. Water standing about the mouth of the well causes the pipe 
to rust badly, but this can easily be jDrevented by carefully piping 
and grading. One of the largest and most exj^ensive wells in the 
area was lost by the rusting of pipes near the surface; in this case 
there was a pond of water about the well. In wells with double 
casing the old inner pij^e can be drawn and i*eplaced by a new one. 

Large and expensive wells to be used for power should be put 
down by experienced well drillers who understand how to cut off 
the upper and weaker flows and produce a well with the greatest 
possible pressure. It has been found best to keep such wells closed 
when not in use. If joroperly cased and not running sand there is 



UNDERGROUND WATERS. 31 

no danger of injuring the well by shutting" off the flow, but it should 
be shut off gradually. 

Diminidion in pressure and supply. — It is believed that in some 
portions of the artesian area the pressure and volume of flow is 
diminishing, but reliable data bearing on this point are difficult to 
obtain. Many wells decrease in volume after flowing some time, but 
the change is often due to breaks in the pipe, leakage, and clogging 
by sand or iron rust. Sometimes the diminution is local and due to 
the large number of wells. It is claimed that the pressure in the 
first and second flows in the Dakota sandstone is decreasing in Cedar 
County; the first flow at present runs a 2-inch pipe half full, while 
formerly it ran a full pipe ; the second flow, about 80 feet deeper than 
the first and having more pressure, shows but little change ; the third 
flow, from 30 to 40 feet below the second, has changed very little, if 
any. 

BLOWING WELLS. 

Blowing wells are found at a number of places in Nebraska, espe- 
cially in Jefferson County. They are also known as " breathing," 
" howling," and " w^eather " wells. They occur at several localities 
in southeastern Knox County and about Mineola, Holt County. The 
wells have a depth of from 125 to about 200 feet, passing through 
loess, sand, dry gravel, and sand into water gravel. In some cases 
there is only a slight movement of air into and out of the well, called 
'' sucking " or inhalation and " blowing " or exhalation. Where the 
casing is tight above and the opening small a very audible noise may 
be produced. The movement of air, up or down, seems to depend on 
the barometric pressure. When the air is heavy during a high barom- 
eter the movement is inward, while when the air is light during a 
low barometer it is outward. Since the well and weather phenomena 
correlate so closely the w^ells are called weather wells, and the changes 
in atmospheric pressure are supposed to cause the " blowing." The 
dry gravel below forms a reservoir into and out of which air readily 
passes. While there is more or less air in all formations, that in the 
porous beds mo^'es most freely. Naturally this reservoir of air is 
affected by pressure, and the well is an artificial connection between 
the atmosphere and the air in the porous beds below. Inhalation dur- 
ing very cold weather causes the pipes to freeze sometimes as far 
down as the water. As soon as a reverse movement begins the pipes 
thaw out rapidly. 

Mr. Charles C. Cleveland, of Creighton, Nebr., furnishes the fol- 
lowing description of his well : 

My well is 3 feet in diameter and 165 feet deep, du? through loess. SO feet; 
sand and gravel, 05 feet; clay, 20 feet. From this clay a 2-inch hole was bored 
down to water gravel from which the water flowed 15 feet deep in the .'i-foot 
hole. In this well there is at times a current of air moving in or out, although 



32 MISSOURI VALLEY, NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 

during much of the time it is entirely still. AA'hen the weather moderates in 
winter or is gettinjr warmer at any time the well blows, and the air hissing 
through the platform can be heard rods away. When the weather turns cold, 
the air is sucketl in. This air must have come out of the dry gravel below the 
loess. The pump platform has to be made air-tight in winter to prevent pipes 
freezing to the bottom of the well. All deep wells in this vicinity are blowing 
wells. 

POLLUTION OF WELL WATERS. 

Water is rendered impure by the presence of mineral and organic 
matter. Some kinds of these may be present without affecting the 
desirableness of the water for drinking and domestic purposes, but 
most impurities either are, or are likely to become, injurious to the 
health. The water supply which comes principally from shallow 
wells and springs often become contaminated from the surface and is 
then a source of contagion. Many cases of typhoid fever have come 
from this cause. The site for a dug well should be selected with 
great care and should be as far as possible from barnyards, back- 
houses, etc. All surface drainage should be kept away. Placing a 
well on higher ground than the house and outbuildings is not always 
a safeguard, for the water level in a well is so low that in some cases 
there may be a direct underground seepage from a dangerous source 
of contamination. Wood curbing often fouls the water by rotting. 
Spring water- may also become polluted if it flows from sands not 
well protected from surface contamination. 

WATER RESOURCES BY COUNTIES. 
NORTHERN PART OF HOLT COUNTY. 

Topography, — The northern part of Holt County drains northeast- 
ward to Niobrara Kiver. It is a thinly settled region of over 900 
square miles, in which stock raising and dairying are the principal in- 
dustrial j)ursuits, especially where the land is rough or sandy. There 
is considerable farming on the table-land just north of Stewart, At- 
kinson, and O'Xeill. North of this table-land the slope to the Niobrara 
is quite perceptible, as there is a fall of 400 to 500 feet in from 15 to 25 
miles. Tertiary sands form the broad surface slopes. A sand-hill 
area 5 to 8 miles wide, but with indefinite boundaries, lies just south 
of Niobrara River and extends across the northern part of the county. 
The surface sands and gravels here were derived in part from the 
Tertiary sands and in part from materials brought into the region by 
Niobrara River when it flowed at a higher level. Beneath the sandy 
formations the whole region is underlain by Pierre clay, which comes 
to the surface along the Niobrara and along the lower courses of the 
principal creeks, forming steep slopes. 

The main stream is Niobrara River. Its principal tributaries in 
this county are the Redbird, Eagle, Big Sandy, and Beaver creeks, 



WATER RESOURCES, BY COUNTIES. 33 

all of which head in the table-land and flow northeastward to the 
river. They are fed principally by springs and flow all the year, the 
run-off not being much a fleeted by the average rain or by dry weather. 
The streams vary in length from about 15 to 30 miles, and the grade 
varies but is generally steep. The valleys are narrow and semicylin- 
drical in form at the edge of the table-land, wider and more mature 
across the Tertiary slopes, and more deeply trenched in the outcrop 
zone of Pierre clay. The stream water is used principally for stock 
and to some extent for domestic purposes. 

Water poicer. — None of the creeks have been gaged, but it is evi- 
dent that they would afford much water power, and the conditions are 
such that power could be easily and cheaply developed. There are 
favorable places for inexpensive dams along all of the creeks, while 
on some of the principal creeks there are numerous power sites. At 
Turner, Mr. William Knollkemper has a dam (see PL VII. B^ p. 18) 
150 feet long and 8 to 10 feet high, constructed of brush, clay, and 
manure. The power is used to run a well-equipped flouring mill. 
with a capacity of 60 barrels a day, which has been in operation for 
twenty-five years. The dam cost but little, for it is simply a crude 
breakwater which diverts part of the stream into a mill race. For 
several years a mill was operated on the Big Sandy, near Badger, but 
it was recently moved to Butte, Boyd County. The dam and race 
have been somewhat improved and power will be transmitted to the 
mill at Butte, a distance of 7 miles. 

The main drawback to the development of water power for mill 
purposes in the northern part of Holt County is in the lack of ship- 
ping facilities for mill products. However, cheap power could be 
developed and transmitted to railroad towns both north and south. 
This plan ought to prove feasible, as fuel for power is high priced. 

Springs. — Springs from Tertiary and terrace sands and gi-avels 
lying on the impervious Pierre clay are numerous along all of the 
creeks. They afford a large supply of good drinking water, and are 
used for domestic purposes, stock water, and for irrigation when 
needed. About Ray they are found on many farms and occur numer- 
ously about Saratoga on a small tributary of Eagle Creek. Above 
Turner on sec. 26, T. 32, R. 11 W. the John Donlin Springs seep out 
of the sands. Little Sandy Creek heads at a large spring. Near 
Phoenix some hea^y springs are used to irrigate a large orchard, and 
5 miles west of Badger some strong springs are used for irrigation 
during dry years. The Mullehan Springs near Paddock are well 
known; the water comes out of sand and gravel above the Pierre clay, 
forming a small fall 35 feet high. In this vicinity there are several 
very strong springs, most of which are not used. Xear the mouth of 
Eagle Creek springs supply large fish ponds and in dry seasons in'i- 
3691— iRR 215—08 3 



34 



MISSOURI VALLEY, ^' ORTHEASTERK 2s'EBRASKA. 



irate from 15 to liO acres of orchard and garden. At another ranch 2 
miles east the sprinir water, conducted by a ditch three-fourths mile 
long, is used for irrigation purposes. The springs of this county 
could be used to greater advantage than they are at present, for in 
most cases they are high on the slopes and might be piped to and 
through the houses, which are generally located in the valleys below. 
Also it seems probable that by boring or by tunneling the ground 
water at boggy places not far below the table-land could be tapped 
and caused to flow out as strong springs. 

Shallow icells. — Since settlements usually begin along the streams 
or at springs, few wells were put down until the country back from 
the natural water supply began to be used, first for grazing and later 
for fanning. In much of the higher area of the county sandy forma- 
tions yield a suitable supply of water, usually soft. At a few places, 
as north of Middle Branch, the water is in fine sand and is difficult to 
strain. There are several blowing wells in the vicinity of Mineola. 

The following table will serve to show the different well-water 
conditions : 

Representative wells of northern Holt Countif, Xehr. 



O^vner. 


Location. 


Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 
of 


Remarks. 








water. 








Feet. 


Inches. 


Feet. 




O-Xeill 


. O'Neill 


1.400 


(°) 


1,360 


Some bad water. Failure. 












Cost .S3 .000. 


J. M. Packard.... 


.! Sec. 12. T. 29X..R.9W. 


160 


2 




Sand all the way down, on high 
ground. Uses Cook strainer. 


E.H. Lees 


.1 Sec. 28, T. 31, R. lOW.. 

i 


60 


8 


10 


On high ground. Through 57 
feet of sand into gravel. 


11. R. Henry 


. Sec. 22, T. 30. R. lOW.. 


68 


10 


9 


Through sand and gravel to 
coarse gravel. Blowing weU. 
High ground. 


George Tomlison . 


.t Sec. 25. T. 31. R.IOW.. 


76 


8 


12 


High ground. 


A. B. Powell 


. Sec. 3. T. 31. R. 10 W... 


80 


8 


8 or 9 


Do. 


A. L. Wilcox 


. Sec. 18. T. 31. R. 12 W . . 


16 


42 


4 or 5 


In vallev. 


Mr McGowen 


Sec. 24. T. 31. R. 12 W 


365 






Through sand and gravel 15 feet 
into Pierre clav. On Red Bird 






















divide. 


Henrv Lasher 


. Sec. 24. T. 31, R. 12 W. 


120 


8 


14 


Log : Clav and sand . 25 feet :clay , 












20 feet: hard sandv laver, 1 
foot: soft decomposed layer; 
sand. 

Dug well. In valley. 

In vaUev. 




Sec 36 T 31 R P W 


8 


36 




A. Dobson. 


. Sec. 12. T. 33. R. 12 W.. 


20 




12 


J. F. Green 


. Sec. 9, T. 33, R. 14 W... 


18 


12 


8 


Water in pure white sand jnst 
above Pierre clay. 


Frank Sanders. . . 


. Sec. 12. T. 33. R. 15 W.. 


20 


10 


10 


Abundant supply. 


William Dusten. . . 


. Sec. 22, T. 33. R. 15 W . . 


90 


12 






Winslow Bros 


. Sec. 14 T.33, R. 14W.. 


28 


' 


10 


Easily lowered Through soil, 
sand", gravel. 


A. W. Sexton 


Sec. 33, T. 34, R. 14 W . . 


26 


12 


13 


Easily lowered. 



" Reduced three times : 2 inches at bottom. 



Artesian water. — There are no deep artesian wells in this county, 
but many shallow flowing wells are found in the southern townships 
south of the area treated in this report. 

The deep flow reached at a depth of 923 feet in the new well at 
Lynch, Boyd County, should, if tapi^ed at AMiiting bridge, have 



WATER RESOURCES, BY COUNTIES. 35 

pressure sufficient to raise the water 75 feet or more above the river. 
xVccording to barometric readings this would hick about 45 or 50 
feet of reaching the river level at the Badger bridge. But since there 
is a gradual increase in pressure to the west, it is quite probable that 
a fair flow could be obtained at Badger at a depth of somewhat over 
1,100 feet, and on the same basis it appears likely that the water 
would rise to the river level as far west as the mouth of the Keyapaha 
River and probably farther. 

BOYD COUNTY. 

The Avater conditions in Boyd County present considerable variety, 
owing to the diversity of the geologic formations. These comprise 
surface alluvial deposits, Tertiary sands, Pierre clay, and the Nio- 
brara chalk rock. 

Streams. — Missouri River receives several unimportant tributaries 
in the northeastern part of the county, draining an area of approxi- 
mately 50 square miles of hilly country. The Niobrara flows with 
steep grade along the southern border of the county, draining a 
narrow district of approximately 125 square miles and a much larger 
area in Holt County. This water is used for stock and to some extent 
for domestic purposes, especially where a suitable supply can not be 
had from springs and wells. Keyapaha River, a tributary of the 
Niobrara, flows through a grazing country and is an important 
source of stock water. The conditions along this stream are favorable 
for small power sites. Ponca Creek, though having but a weak flow, 
drains more than half of the county. Its lower course is quickly 
affected by storm water, owing to extensive slopes of gumbo, or Pierre 
clay. It heads in broad, shallow sloughs in Gregory County, S. Dak., 
and in the high lands of Boyd County receives small amounts of 
ground water and a limited supply from direct run-off. Between 
Spencer and Butte there are successive terraces at rather regular inter- 
vals along the valley, which afford a good supply of spring and well 
water. Here many of the weak tributaries begin in elliptical holes 
and ponds in shallow sloughs. Ponca Creek affords good stock water. 
It has been used successfully as a source of mill power. 

Springs. — The source of spring water here, as in Holt County, is 
the ground water in the Tertiary and terrace sands and gravels. 
Springs occur in large numbers; for example, on the SE. J sec. 8, T. 
34, R. 16 AV., there are 25 springs, and on sec. 5, adjoining, a shallow 
cut developed a supply of water that flowed a distance of 120 rods. 

The supply of water for Spencer is obtained from springs which 
come out of terrace sands and gravel three-fourths of a mile north- 
west of the town. The water is collected in a reservoir at the highest 
possible level and then pumped to a standpipe. Spring water is piped 



36 MISSOURI VALLEY, NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 

into a house in Lviich. All along Ponca Creek above Bristow springs 
issue from sand just above clay, and similar conditions exist along 
all of the principal streams of the county, especially the Keyapaha 
in the region of Twin Buttes. 

iS hallow wells, — The well-water supply of Boyd County has been 
reported as limited and bad, but, while it is true that some farmers 
have to haul water and that certain small towns have a poor supply, 
such cases are exceptional. Much alkali water is found in Pierre clay 
areas, but a large amount of soft water is obtained from Tertiary 
eand. Many of the gravels yield hard water, and the supply from 
the chalk rock seldom is satisfactory. Since the central and eastern 
l^arts of the county present a variety of surface formations, there are 
frequent differences in the quality of the underground water. In the 
area of Pierre shale, where the soil often is satisfactory for crop rais- 
ing, the wat^r is nearly always bad, but ordinarily it is practicable to 
locate the farm house on some other formation Avhich will yield good 
well Avater. In locating wells it is advisable to prospect in sandy soil 
with small augers, and in sinking it is best to stop as soon as gumbo is 
reached, unless a cemented reservoir is to be constructed, for the alkali 
is dissolved from the clay by the water while it stands in the well. It 
has been observed that heavy pumping improves the quality of Avater 
in Avells sunk through sand into the clay. Dry Avells are not numer- 
ous and probably they occur only where the surface of the impervious 
clay rises above the ground-Avater level. Ordinarily such areas are 
of small extent, and trial borings Avill indicate their limits. 

At Butte good and bad Avaters occur Avithin a fcAv rods. The water- 
bearing sands lie in depressions and yield a suitable and an abundant 
supply. In interA^ening areas the Avells extend into gumbo and yield 
scanty supplies of poor Avater. If necessary an abundance of desir- 
able water can be piped from wells near the buttes just south of tow^n. 
At MonoAvi the wells are not favorably located, and the result is un- 
satisfactory. The supply at Gross is usually good. 



WATER RESOURCES, BY COUNTIES. 



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38 MISSOURI VALLEY, NOETHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 

Arfciiian ict'lh. — All of Boyd County is underlain by Dakota sand- 
stone containing artesian water, but only a limited area is low enough 
for surface Hows. Strong wells can be obtained along the Missouri 
bottom and along the Ponca Valley at least as far west as Spencer. 
The heavy pressure in the deep well recently finished at Lynch dem- 
onstrates that there is a deeper and stronger flow^ th^re, and prob- 
ably that artesian wells can be had farther up Ponca Creek and Nio- 
brara Kiver than was formerly supposed. A deep flow w^as reached 
at Lynch, which has sufficient pressure to raise water to an alti- 
tude of 1,51)0 feet. This indicates that a surface flow can be obtained 
in the valley below Spencer, at a depth of about 1,065 feet. If the 
l^ressure increases westward across Boyd County a flow may be had 
in the valley below^ Anoka at a depth of about 1,170 feet, and as far 
west along the Niobrara bottom as the Badger Bridge and probably 
farther. Wells far to the west are more expensive to bore on account 
of increased depth and will afford little water power. 

The wells at Lynch throw much light on the underground condi- 
tions. In the old well, completed in 1900, it is reported that at the 
top there were 260 feet, mostly '" soapstone," 40 feet of Niobrara chalk 
rock at the base of the Niobrara formation, 275 feet of " soapstone " 
with some hard layers, 25 feet of hard rock and " sandstone "• (pre- 
sumably Greenhorn limestone), 20 feet of soapstone and clay, 50 feet 
of slate with coaly layers, 4 feet of so-called coal, 38 feet of sandstone, 
30 feet of hard clay and sandstone, and 18 feet of porous sandstone 
in which the flow began. Other flows appeared in sandstones below 
until, at 797 feet, the flow was so strong that work was discontinued. 
The flow was 465 gallons a minute, pressure 52 pounds, temperature 
79 J ° F., and diameter 6 to 4|^ inches. In the new well bored in 1903 
a pressure of 85 pounds is reported and a yield of 3,100 gallons a 
minute. The large flow in the new well is somewhat spasmodic in 
pressure and it has also thrown out considerable sand. It is to be used 
for mill power. The first flow was at 740 feet and the third at 875 
feet ; the temperature is 90°, and the diameter is 10 inches to 350 feet 
and 8 inches below. This well is shown in PI. X. 

Section of the new artesian iceU at Lynch, Boyd County, Nehr, 

Feet. 

Sand and gravel 0- 18 

Pierre clay (called soapstone) 18-105 

Niobrara chalk rock, sandy and hard below 105-300 

Carlile clays, with some beds of pyrites i 300-588 

Greenhorn limestone 58-8-610 

Graneros clays and shales 610-700 

Dakota sandstone and clay, alternating. Four or five different flows 

reported 700-923 

Total depth 023 feet. Altitude of mouth, 1,392 feet. 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 215 PL. X 




SECOND ARTESIAN WELL AT LYNCH, NEBR. 



WATER RESOURCES, BY COUNTTES. 39 

Analyses of waters of artesian wells at Lynch, Nehr.<^ 
[Parts per million.] 



8-inch or 
new well. 



Combined water and organic matter I 233 

Silica (SiOo) 56 

Iron and alumina (Fej O3 and AI2O3) 

Calcium (Ca) 

Magnesium (Mg) 

Sodium (Na) 

Potassium ( K) 

Sulphate radicle (SO4) 

Caroonate radicle (CO3) 

Chlorine (Gl) 

Total solids 



75 

74 

1,474 



4-fnch or 
old well. 



232 

16 
2.8 
255 

67 

62 

15 

mi 

67 
61 
144 



aS. Avery and A. Jacobsen, analysts. 

A well is now (1905) being drilled on sec. 33, T. 34, K. 11, near 
Rosedale, but the drill is fast at a depth of 793 feet. If boring is 
continued, a good well may be obtained at a depth of 1,100 to 1,200 
feet. The first mill well at Lynch was three years in boring. The 
following altitudes, obtained from the Chicago and Northwestern 
Railway and by the use of an aneroid barometer, may be of value in 
considering the depth and head of the artesian Avaters: 

AltitUih'.H on line 0/ Chicago (uid .\orthice!<trin Railway. 

Feet. 

Monowi « 1, 322i 

Lynch « 1, 400^ 

Spencer « , . 1, 541^ 

Anoka « 1, 638* 

Fairfax, S. Dak.« 1,9321 

Niobrara River at Whiting Bridge 1,502 

Niobrara River at Badger Bridge 1,635 

Missouri River at Greenwood 1,229 

Missouri River at Fort Randall 1,240 

Town of Spencer 1,687 

Town of Butte 1,795 

KNOX COUNTY. 

Loess, varying in thickness from a few feet to over 100 feet, forms 
the surface over most of Knox County, its continuity being inter- 
rupted by a sandy area west of Verdigris Creek, by a clayey region 
l)eyond the Niobrara, by sandy sections near Santee, and by places 
where deeper valleys cut through to underlying formations. The 
northern and central parts of the county are somewhat hilly, and 
lower than the more level regions to the south and southeast. There 
is considerable bottom land along the Missouri and the Niobrara. 
The chalk rock so prominently exposed along the Missouri extends 
southward under the Pierre, Tertiary, Glacial, and loess deposits. 

» Base of rail at station. 



•iO MISSOURI VALLEY, NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 

Ill much of tho county the Pierre clay and Niobrara chalk rock, which 
usually att'ord an inferior supply of water, are deeply buried by other 
formations and are not reached in ordinary wells. Except for an 
area of about 60 square miles draining south to Elkhorn River, the 
general slope and drainage is northward to the -Missouri. 

/Sfr('(wis and water power. — The Missouri is the most important 
stream; it flows along the northern margin of the county and is 
often the source of local water supply. The Niobrara River re- 
ceives 7 tributaries of some importance from the south, but prac- 
tically none from the north. Verdigris Creek, with a drainage 
basin of about 250 square miles, is one of the best water-power streams 
in northern Nebraska, gaging about 105 second-feet and flowing 
throughout the year. A mill is successfully run by water power from 
this stream at the town of Verdigre; the dam is constructed of 
greenish quartzite obtained 6 or 7 miles southwest. Several other 
good power sites exist between Verdigre and Niobrara River. 

Bazile Creek closely resembles the Verdigris in character, but has 
a drainage basin in the center of the county, of about 400 square 
miles in area. Much of the power here is not favorably located with 
respect to railroads, but it might be transmitted to Creighton, 
Bloomfield, Winnetoon, and other towns. There are two well-con- 
structed dams along the creek, one at the Bazile mill and the other 
at the lower Bazile mill (see PI. XI, B). Each dam has a fall of 
about 12 feet and is made of greenish quartzite and each supplies 
water for 60-barrel flouring mill. Farther downstream numerous 
favorable power sites could be located. 

Frankforter Creek, frequently called Weigand Creek, in the north- 
eastern part of the county, is too weak for power, especially during 
the drier months. 

/Springs. — The rainfall accumulates as ground water in the loess 
and sand and gravel deposits, and from these springs issue, especially 
at the contact with impervious beds. Many flow from the outcrop- 
ping edge of the top of the Pierre clay, which extends along the sides 
of the valley slopes. Talus from later formations often covers the 
clay more or less in the outcrops and sometimes carries the spring 
water to lower levels. In some parts of the county the upper surface 
of the clay is very uneven as a result of erosion. 

As in adjacent counties the number of springs is very great, prac- 
tically every little ravine along the Niobrara, Verdigris, and Bazile 
valleys being fed by a spring, large or small. Only a few can be 
noted: Springs just southwest and northwest of Verdigre could be 
piped to furnish an abundance of water for the town. The La Mont 
Springs, about 2 miles south of Niobrara, are quite strong. A spring 
at the place of R. F. Stout, sec. 5, T. 30, R. 5 W., south of Center, is 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEv 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 215 PL. XI 




,1. OLD vVELL AT 5ANTEE AGENCY, NEBR. 




/;. uOvVER DAM ON BAZILE CREEK >m\Oa ^vjoi\'t, NEBR BuiLT OF QUARTZiTE. 



WATER RESOURCES, BY COUNTIES. 41 

piped some 350 yards to a hydrant at the house ; the water, tempera- 
ture 55^° F., issues from the base of coarse sand at the clay contact, 
at an altitude of about 1,525 feet, or 35 feet above the hydrant. 
A notably hea\y spring is located IJ miles southeast of Center. A 
small spring near the creek at the lower Bazile mill yields a good 
quality of drinking water; the flow is 7 gallons per minute, and the 
temperature 54J°. Several springs are found along the Frankforter 
Creek; one at Weigand affords a good supply of water for a public 
watering place, stock, and house use. 

Shallow wells. — North of Niobrara and in the Ponca basin the 
shallow-water conditions are very variable; the best supplies are 
obtained from irregular areas of sand and gravel on the divides and 
from the flood-plain deposits. In the southwestern part of the county 
water is derived from Tertiary sands in wells from 100 to 200 feet 
deep. In the central, southern, and eastern portions good water is 
obtained in gravel, which often lies 175 feet deep on high ridges and 
table lands, and 20 to 35 feet in the old northwest-southeast valley 
extending from Verdigris Creek past Winnetoon and Creighton to 
the southeast. At a few places Tertiary sands rise above the gravel 
beds and afford a supply at less depths. Many blowing wells are 
found in Tps. 29 and 30, Rs. 2, 3, and 4. 

The Pierre clay has not been reached in wells over 200 feet deep on 
the high lands south of Bloomfield, which indicates a great thickness 
of post-Cretaceous formations, many of them water-bearing. Over 
much of the eastern half of the county two gravel beds, separated by 
clay and sand, are encountered, except where they have been removed 
by erosion or where Tertiary sands rise above them. 

In this county, as elsewhere, the water derived from wells extend- 
ing into the Pierre clay and the Niobrara chalk rock usually contains 
much alkali, unless the- beds have lost their soluble matter by leach- 
ing. Usually, not far from places underlain by these formations, 
good water may be obtained from alluvial or other sands. 

Artesian wells. — Large supplies of artesian waters are available in 
all of the lower lands of the county, and in many places the conditions 
are favorable for high-pressure wells. The mill well at Niobrara, 
used so successfully for power, indicates that such wells might be ob- 
tained at many jDoints on the Missouri, Niobrara, and Ponca bottoms. 
With little doubt one or more stronger flows can be had at a slightly 
greater depth, and an attempt is now being made at the Niobrara mill 
to reach one of these; the last report (1905) indicates slow progress 
in the drilling and a depth of 500 feet. 



42 



MISSOURI VALLEY, NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 



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WATER RESOURCES, BY COUNTIES. 43 

A new well is soon to be put down at the Santee Agency. The old 
well there, which has been used successfully for mill power, irrigation, 
fire protection, and general water supply, is now of little use (see PL 
XI, A ) , because the casing has rusted off 2 or 3 feet below ground. 
The large well at the school afforded clear w^ater for about two weeks 
when finished, and the volume was at first over 2,000 gallons per min- 
ute. After a while it began throwing out sand and shale, and the 
flow ceased entirely a few times but was started again each time by 
cleaning. At present the pressure is 26^ pounds at the mouth of the 
well, which is 105 feet above Missouri River. In this well trouble 
was experienced with the casing at a depth of about 500 feet. The 
present water supply is thought to come principally from the first 
flow. Wells in the northeastern part of the county have decreased in 
pressure and flow, principally because they Avere not properly cased. 

Attempts to get wells on high lands have failed because of the alti- 
tude, the pressure, though strong in the water-bearing beds below^, not 
being sufficient to force the Avater to the height necessary. 

Record of tvell at the packing house, Niohrara, on the Missouri hottom, sec. 8, 

T. 32, R. 6 W. 

Feet. 

Soil and sand 0- 70 

Niobrara chalk rock i 70-200 

Clays and shales with thin beds of iron pj-rites (Carlile) 200-410 

Limestone (Greenhorn) 410-442 

Clay and shale (Graneros) 442-520 

Dakota sandstone and clay 520-600 

Record of small icell at the school, Santee, yehr., sec. 13, T. 33, R. o W. 

[Mouth of well 14:^ feet above the Missouri River.] 

Feet. 

Soil and sand 0-23 

Pierre clay 23 - 35 

Niobrara chalk rock 35 _240 

Clay, shale, and thin beds of iron pyrites (Carlile) 240 —445* 

Limestone (Greenhorn) 445^-502 

Clay and shale (Graneros) 502 -GOO 

Dakota sandstone GOO -G04 

Record of John Lytle tvell, sec. 19, 2\ 33, R. 2 W., Xehrasla. 

[Mouth about 70 feet above the Missouri Kiver.] 

Feet. 

Soil 0- G 

Niobrara chalk rock G- SS 

Clays and shales with hard beds (Carlile) 88-380 

Limestone (Greenhorn) 380-400 

Clay and some shale (Graneros) 400-490 

Dakota sandstone and clay (second flow) 490-530 



44 



MISSOURI VALLEY, NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 






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WATER RESOURCES, BY COUNTIES. 45 

CEDAR COUNTY. 

The most extensive surface deposit in Cedar County is the loess, 
below which lie Quaternary and Tertiary sands, clay, and gravel. Of 
the Cretaceous formations only a few detached areas of Pierre clay 
occur, while Niobrara chalk rock underlies all of the county, either 
beneath later formations or at the surface. The other members of 
the Cretaceous exposed along the Missouri lie at lower levels beneath 
the chalk. 

The surface of the county is for the most part gently rolling, with 
drainage to the northeast and southeast. The principal streams, 
aside from the Missouri, are Bow and West Bow creeks, which con- 
verge north of St. James. The southern and southeastern townships 
are drained by Logan Creek. 

Spmngs. — The big springs near Coleridge were well knoAvn in the 
early history of the county as a Avatering place for immigrants. 
Curlew Springs, issuing from banks beneath the drift in a boggy 
slough, are also Avell known. The Frank Hochstein Spring on sec. 
8, T. 32, R. 2, is i^erhaj^s the finest in the county. It is located at the 
foot of a loess-capped hill and the water boils up from a circular hole 
the depth of which has not been ascertained. The flow^ is between 400 
and 500 gallons per minute, Avhich, according to the owner, has not 
changed in thirty-eight years. The Avater deposits some iron and on 
that account is usually regarded as coming from the artesian supply. 
The temperature is only 50 J°. The Avater is used for drinking, do- 
mestic and dairy purposes, and stock. 

Shallow irells. — In this county there is usually an abundance of 
good Avater available in shalloAv Avells, from Tertiary and Glacial 
sands and graA^els. In some localities the Avells extend into the chalk 
rock, which gives A^ery hard Avater but contains less alkali than farther 
west, the formation appearing to be leached out in this county. Xot 
many shalloAv wells are found along the Missouri bottom, the Avater 
supply there being derived from artesian Avells. 

The depth of common or shalloAv wells is controlled to a consider- 
able degree by the topography. In the broad valleys w^ater is ob- 
tained at a depth of a few feet, usually from 10 to 40, Avhile on some 
of the interv^ening ridges and high lands the depth to it is considerably 
greater. 

About Hartington the depths vary from about 15 to 35 feet and at 
Coleridge from 20 to 45 feet. 



46 



MISSOURI V-^LLEY, NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 





Reprcsni iativc shallo 


w wells 


of Ccd 


ar County, Neh 


r. 


Owner. 


Location. 


Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 
of wa- 
ter. 


Quality. 


Remarks. 


('has. Clark 

James Marsh 

Town well 

H. Wubben 

Carl Doeiler 

L. P. Lauretzen . . . 
Ernest Ferber 


Sec. 21, T. 33 N., R. 1 W. 
Sec.l6, T.33, R.IW.... 
Sec.l6,T.33, R.IW .... 

NEisec.23,T.33,R.lE. 

Sec. 35, T.33, R. IE.... 

Sec. 26, T. 32, R. 2 E 

Sec.l,T.31, R.2E 

Sec.9,T.29,R.2E 

Sec.l8,T.29,R.3E 

Sec.34,T.30, R.3E 


Feet. 
60 

72 

70 

100 

50 

50 
36 

13 
55 


Inches. 
24 

24 

60 

36 

48 

48 
2 

39 
2i 

30 


Feet. 
15 

20 

11 

2 
10 


Hard... . 

....do... 
Medium 

Hard... . 

....do... 
....do... 


Soil, clay 20-30 feet; 

chalk rock. 
Good drinking; soil, 

clay; chalk rock. 
Soil to 12 feet; sand; 

soil; gravel with 

water. 
Soil; loess 30 feet: red 

chalk rock 20 feet; 

blue chalk 48 feet. 
Soil; loess 44 feet; 

chalk. 

Black dirt 3 feet; sand 


W. 11. Hight 


9 


Medium. 
Hard... 

....do. .. 


22 feet; balance 

gravel. 
Soil, gumbo; sand in 

bottom. 
Soil, silty; loess 51 

feet; sand with 

water at bottom. 
Loess, sand, and 


R. C. Chase 








gravel; is 60 feet be- 
low highest hills. 



Artesian wells. — There are nearly 100 flowing artesian wells in 
Cedar County, all of which are either along or near the Missouri bot- 
tom. Their distribution is shown on PI. IX (in pocket), and most of 
their features are given in the table, page 47. In addition to these 
there are many tubular wells on the highlands to the south, some of 
which flowed for a short time. The supply in these tubular wells 
comes from the artesian water in the Dakota sandstone and rises as 
high in these wells as it would in pipes at artesian wells on the Mis- 
souri bottom. Mr. Chamberlain, who drilled most of the wells in 
Cedar County, states that flowing wells can be had up AYest Bow 
Creek for 7 miles and up Bow Creek for 6 miles from the river. Be- 
yond that distance they cease to flow. 

This important resource should be protected by more careful cas- 
ing of wells ; all should be cased to the cap rock and kept under con- 
trol at the surface. As it is there is an enormous loss by under- 
ground leakage and the waste of flows on the surface. 

Record of artesian well at St. Helena, Nebr. 

Feet. 

Chalky limestone 0- 25 

Shale 25- 59 

Dark blue clay 59-329 

Shale 329-369 

Black shale with hard layers and lignite 6 inches thick at 399 and 418 

feet 369-418 

Sand with flow, underlain by clay 418-466 



WATER RESOURCES, BY COUNTIES. 



47 



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MISSOURI VALLEY, NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 



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WATER RESOURCES; BY COUNTIES. 



49 



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60 MISSOURI VALLEY, NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 

DIXON COUNtV. 

The southwestern part of Dixon County resembles adjacent parts 
of Cedar County in topography, structure, and water conditions. In 
most other portions, except on the bottom land and along the bluffs 
on the ^lissouri. loess-covered hills predominate. TIk? amount of sand 
and gravel beneath the loess appears to decrease to the northeast. The 
northwestern part of the county is underlain by Niobrara chalk rock. 
Glacial clay appears to be more widely distributed than in Cedar 
County. 

Very little difficulty is experienced in obtaining a good supply of 
Avater. the Benton clays being the only beds that yield well water 
unfit for use. The i^rincipal water-power stream, the AoAva, is not 
strong, but inexpensive dams at Ponca and Martinsburg, constructed 
of brush, stone, and soil, afford water power for flouring and grist 
mills. 

Sj)rings. — Many springs occur in the county, one of the most not- 
able of which is at Waterbury, where the flow has been used for 
locomotives. The water here rises from a considerable depth into a 
large circular basin near the station. One-half mile south a similar 
spring 45 feet across and 20 feet deep, flows between 300 and 400 gal- 
lons of water a minute, never freezing over during winter. 

The Hurley Springs, about 5 miles west of Martinsburg, come out 
of sands above bowlder clay at an altitude of 1,425 feet. South of 
this place there is a general seepage from the slope at an altitude of 
1,500 feet. 

Shallow loells. — Much of the domestic Arater supply is from very 
shallow wells, which are affected somewhat by dry weather. In sev- 
eral localities the water table comes so near the surface that flowing 
wells might be had. One well 45 feet deep, at the stock yards in Allen, 
overflows. At Allen the water rises to within 12 feet of the surface, 
from a bed of gravel which lies at a depth of 70 feet. The following 
representative wells show the prevailing conditions in this county : 



WATER RESOURCES, BY COUNTIES. 



61 






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52 MISSOURI VALLEY, NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 

Artesian wells. — There are a few artesian wells on the bottom 
lands in the northern part of the county. If wells were sunk to the 
lower beds of the Dakota formation and carefully cased, flows could 
be had several miles farther southeast. There are also a number of 
deep tubular wells located on high land south of the Missouri bottom. 
The following wells are now flowing: 



WATER RESOURCES, BY COUNTIES. 



53 



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54 MISSOURI V-\LLEY, NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 

DAKOTA COUNTY. 

Dakota County resembles Dixon in configuration but includes a 
nuich wider area of bottom lands along the ^lissouri. Its uplands 
are deeply trenched by the small valleys of many watercourses, with 
the intervening ridges or plateau remnants thickly capped by loess. 
Cretaceous rocks from Dakota to Greenhorn apj^ear in the slopes 
and often present extensive outcrops. The Missouri bottom land is 
thickly floored by alluvial deposits. 

The principal stream is ^Missouri Eiver. which defines the eastern 
boundary. There are several creeks of moderate size, the most not- 
able of which is Elk Creek, a stream which flows with a remarkably 
crooked course north from Emerson to Goodwin, then east and south- 
east to Jackson, and finally southeast and east to the river northeast 
of Homer. There is much surface water, but the principal water sup- 
plies are from the numerous springs and shallow wells. 

Spri/iffs. — Many springs issue from the Dakota sandstone, which 
outcrops from above Jackson to the southeastern part of the county. 
These afford an abundance of good cool water for drinking, domestic 
purposes, and stock. A spring in sec. 24, T. 28 X., E. 8 E., 2 miles 
northwest of Homer, has been used for forty-eight years for domestic 
supply and as a jDublic watering place. It flows 6 gallons a minute, 
with a temperature of 51^. 

The Miller Spring, a short distance northwest of Homer, is piped 
from a tile sunk in the sand : part of the flow fills a 1-inch pipe. 

At a ranch a half mile north of Homer the sand rock has been dug 
into and a reservoir walled up. from wliich runs enough water to fill 
a 2-inch pipe. A half mile north of this place there is one of the 
strongest springs in the vicinity, and about 6 miles southwest of Jack- 
son there are two very strong springs. 

Wells. — Underground-water conditions are much the same as in 
Dixon County, except that the Dakota sandstone rises nearer to the 
surface and is easily reached by tubular wells. There are no artesian 
wells in the county: the artesian water reached in such wells farther 
west issues here as springs. 

The following is the record of a tubular well on high ground 6 
miles southwest of Jackson: Loess, 90 feet; sand and hard spongy 
clay, 6 feet ; dark clay with a bed of limestone near the middle, 156 
feet ; sand rock with good water, 6 feet. 

"Wells on or near the bluffs between Jackson and Homer are usually 
80 to 100 feet deep, but several in Jackson are deeper. The Ashford 
well at Homer is 184 feet deep. The supply is usually good, but in 
the Ashford well the water is poor on account of improper casing 
through clay beds which carry soluble salts. On the bottom lands 
the depth to the first water varies from 20 to 25 feet, but at 35 feet 



AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES. 55 

the water is usually poor. Formerly most wells were drilled to the 
greater depth, but now they are driven to the first water. According 
to reports by well drillers the alluvium southeast of Jackson is from 
80 to 100 feet deep. A steady supply of good drinking water is ob- 
tained at Homer in a well 40 feet deep. -In the southwestern part of 
the county wells are very shallow, but yield inexhaustible supplies. 

AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES. 

SOILS. 

The soils of the region are of several types, having been formed by 
various agencies acting on rocks of different kinds ; most of them are 
closely related to the underlying formations. Much of the eastern 
and central parts of the area lies in the fertile loess region, where the 
soil is deep and easily w^orked, receives and holds moisture Avell, and 
yields heavy crops on both hilly and level lands. The alluvial bottom- 
land or flood-plain soil is also fertile and easily tilled, but in the 
lowest areas fields are often damaged by high waters and by shifting 
of the river channel. The heavy Pierre clay, or gumbo soil, is 
especially extensive in Boyd County; it contains some alkali and 
often affords bad water, but usually produces good grass and heavy 
yields of corn, oats, and wheat, especially where the clay is mixed 
with sand. The sandy upland soils in Cedar, Knox, Holt, and 
western Boyd counties stand droughts well and are gradually being 
utilized. 

CROPS. 

The principal crops are hay, corn, wheat, and oats, but alfalfa and 
sugar beets are also successfully grown. Mixed farming is practiced 
generally, except at points where the land is too sandy, or the 
topography is not favorable. Every county has a large acreage of 
hay land; in Cedar County this crop is grown principally along 
broad creek basins. While corn grows well throughout most of the 
region, it does best at certain points on the Missouri bottom. The 
heaviest yield of oats per acre in 1903 was in Boyd County, southeast 
of Spencer, and near Gross. Grain elevators are found at every 
railroad station. The reported acreage of the principal grain crops in 
1902, not including Holt County, was as follows: Corn, 279,055; 
wheat, 105,981; oats, 115,958; rye, 12,G80: barley, -1,877. 

STOCK RAISING AND DAIRYING. 

One of the most important industries in the region is cattle raising, 
and in many localities wide areas are used for grazing, especialh^ 
where the land is too rough or too sandy for farming. The prin- 
cipal pasture lands are in the northern part of the Santee Indian 
Reservation in Knox County, in southwestern Knox County, in the 



56 MISSOURI VALLEY, NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 

sandy and rough portions of Holt and western Boyd counties, and 
on the bhiff and ravine lands along Missouri River. Hogs, sheep, 
and horses are also raised in large numbers. 

Dairying has attained an important place in the economy of the 
region. Cream is shipped from nearly all the railroad stations, Holt 
County leading in its production in the State of Nebraska. 

TIMBER. 

The timber growth is of considerable importance in most of the 
counties. It occurs mostly along the river and creek bottoms and up 
many ravines. The principal trees of economic importance are Cot- 
tonwood, bur oak, elm, and scattering walnut; some of these are as 
much as 4, 5, or even 6 feet in diameter. The timber is used for 
posts, firewood, lumber, frames, and bridges. Sawmills operate at 
a number of points, as north of St. Helena, northwest of St. James, 
on Brooky bottom, and west of Aten. The sawmills obtain their 
timber principally from caving banks along the rivers, where the 
timber would be rapidly destroyed if not removed. The bur-oak 
growth is thickest in northern Dixon and Cedar counties, where it is 
cut into posts for which there is much demand. Timber cutting 
begins about September and lasts during the autumii and winter. 



INDEX. 



Page. 

Agricultural resources, character of .55-56 

Allen, well at 50 

Alluvium, character and distribution of 21 

Aowa Creek, sections near 7 

Arikaree formation, character and distribu- 
tion of 8, 18-19 

quarrying of 22 

water in 26 

Artesian conditions, description of 28 

Artesian water, analysis of 29 

composition of 28-29 

pressure of 29-30 

diminution of 31 

temperature of 30 

Artesian wells. See Wells, artesian. 

Aten, building stone near 23 

Badger Bridge, building stone near 22 

section near 19 

wells at 38 

Bazile Creek, sections on 15, 17 

water powers on 40 

view of 40 

Bazile Point, section at 15 

Belemnitella, occurrence of 16 

Benton group, character and distribution 

of ^ 10-13 

Blowing wells. See Wells, blowing 31 

Blow-outs, occurrence of 22 

Bluflf deposit, character and distribution of. 20-21 

Bow Creek, wells on 46 

Boyd County, altitudes in 39 

artesian wells m 38-39 

shallow wells in 36-37 

springs in 35-36 

streams in 35 

Brick clay, occurrence and use of 22 

Building stone, occurrence and use of 22-23 

Burchard, E. F., on Graneros shale 11 

Butte, building stone at 22 

wells at 36 

Carboniferous rocks, character and distribu- 
tion of 6 

water in 28 

Carlile shale, character and distribution of. . 12-13 

concretions in, view of 12 

contact of Niobrara and, view of 12 

section of 13 

Cedar County, artesian wells in 46-49 

shallow wells in 45-46 

springs in 45 

water in, pressure of 29 

Cement plant , description of 23 

view of 24 

Cement rock, character and distribution 

of 23-24 



Page. 

Cement rock, outcrop of, view of 24 

Center, building stone near 23 

section near 17 

springs near io-41 

Chamberlain, , data from 40 

Cleveland, C. C, on his blowing well 31-32 

Coal, character and distribution of 24 

Coleridge, springs at 45 

Concretions, occurrence of 12 

Cook Creek, loess near 21 

Creighton, blowing well at 31 

Cretaceous rocks, character and distribu- 
tion of 6,8-17 

water from 27 

Crops, character of 55 

Dairjing, importance of 56 

Dakota County, springs in 54 

wells in 54-55 

Dakota sandstone, character and distribu- 
tion of 8-10 

dip of 8 

quarrying of 23 

sections of 9,10 

view of 10 

water from 27, 28 

Darton, N. H.,. on Benton group 10 

work in charge of 5 

Dixon County, artesian wells in 52-53 

shallow wells in 50-51 

springs in 50 

water in, pressure of 29 

Dune sands, character and distribution of.. . 22 

Eagle Creek, landslides on 16-lV 

Elk Creek, drainage of 54 

Fort Randall, section near 17 

Frankforter Creek, character of 40 

springs on 41 

Geology, description of 6-22 

Geology, economic, description of 22-55 

Glacial drift, character and distribution of. . 20 
Graneros shale, character and distribution 

of 11 

contact of Greenhorn limestone and, 

view of 10 

Gravel, occurrence and use of 22 

Greenhorn limestone, character and distri- 

])Ution of 11 

contact of Graneros shale and, \\ew 

of 10 

fossils of, \iew of 14 

quarrying of 23 

section of , 11 

Gross, well water at 36 

Gumbo. See Pierre shale. 

Holt County, artesian water of 34-35 

57 



58 



INDEX. 



Page. 

Holt County, shallow wells of 34 

springs of 33-34 

topograph}' of 32-33 

water powers of 33 

Homer, building stone at and near 23 

coal near 24 

sections near 9, 10 

springs near 54 

wells at 54 

Ice, cnimpling by 15 

Inoceramus, occurrence of 7. 11, 12, 15, 16 

lal)iatus, occurrence of 7 

view of 14 

Ionia, section near 10 

Ionia Volcano, nature of 12 

section at 12 

Irrigation, use of 33-34 

Jackson, building stone at 23 

coal near 24 

analysis of 24 

section at 10 

well near, record of 54 

James, rocks near, view of 12 

Keyapaha River, drainage of 35 

geology near 19 

KnoUkemper, William, dam of 33 

dam of, view of 18 

Knox County, artesian wells in 41-44 

shallow wells in 41 

springs in 40-41 

streams in 40 

topography of 39-40 

water powers in 40 

Landslides, occurrence of 16-17 

I/ignite, occurrence of 9 

Loess, character and distribution of 20-21 

Logan Creek, sand dunes on 22 

Loveland, G. A., precipitation data from. . . 25 

Lynch, artesian wells at 34, 3.'j-36, 38 

artesian wells at, pressure on 29-30 

record of 38 

view of 38 

water from, analysis of 39 

Mackeyville, section near 17 

Map of Nebraska 6 

of northeastern Nebraska, showing 

undcrground-waterconditions.Pock(^t. 
Map, geologic, of northeastern Nebraska. .Pocket. 

Martinsburg, springs near 50 

Mineola , blowing wells near 31 

Mineral resources, description of 22-24 

Missouri River, bluffs of 14 

Dakota sandstone on, view of 10 

drainage of 35, 40 

water of 25-26 

Monowi, building stone near 22 

wells at 36 

Niobrara, cement rock near 23 

cement rock near, view of 24 

springs near 40 

wells at 41 

pressure of 29 

record of 43 

Niobrara formation, analysis of 15 

character and distribution of 13-15 

contact of Carlile clay and, view of 12 

fossils of, view of 14 



Page. 
Niobrara formation, quarrying of 23 

sections of 14, 15, 17 

view of 24 

Niobrara River, discharge of 26 

drainage if 32-33, 35, 40 

geology on 16 

Ostrea congesta, occurrence of 7, 12, 14, 15 

view of 14 

Paddock, springs near 33 

Peat, character and distribution of 24 

Perrin Creek, peat near 24 

Phoenix, springs near 33 

Pierre shale, character and distribution of. . 15-17 

limestone in, quarrying of 23 

section of 15 

Pliocene deposits, character and distribu- 
tion of 19-20 

Ponca, rocks near, view of 10 

Ponca Creek, drainage of 35 

flow of 26 

springs on 36 

wells on .■ .38 

Ponca Landing, coal near 24 

section near 11 

Precipitation, records of 25 

Pressure in artesian wells, diminution of 31 

variations in 29-30 

Prionocyclus, occurrence of 7, 12 

Quaternary deposits, character and distri- 
bution of 20-22 

water from 27 

Ray, building stone at and near 22 

springs near 33 

Riggs, R. O., analj^sis by 28-29 

Rosebud Agency, water at, pressure of 30 

Rosedale, well at 39 

St. Helena, well at, record of 46 

St. James, section near 14 

Sand, occurrence and use of 22 

Santee Agency, well at 48 

well at, record of 43 

view of 40 

Sections across northeastern Nebraska, 

i plate showing Pocket. 

Selenite, occurrence of 12 

Serpula, occurrence of 7,12 

Soapstone. See Pierre shale. 

Soils, character of 55 

i Spencer, building stone near 22 

section near 17 

i springs near 35 

! wells at 38 

Springs, character and distribution of 26-27 

Stock raising, industry of 55-56 

Stone, building, occurrence and use of 22-23 

Stony Butte, building stone near 22 

description of 18 

Stout, R. F., fossils found by 16 

Stratigraphy, description of &-8 

Streams, character and distribution of 2.5-26 

Structure, description of 8 

Surface waters. See Waters, surface. 
Temperature of artesian water, increase of. 30 
Tertiary rocks, character and distri])Ution 

of , 7-8,18-20 

section of 19 

water from 27 



INDEX. 



59 



Page. 

Timber, character and distribution or 50 

Todd, J. T.. aid of 5 

on geology of region 9, 13 

Topography, description of 6 

Turner, building stone at 22 

springs near 33 

Twin Buttes, building stone near 22 

description of 18 

section near 20 

view of 18 

Undergf'ound water. See Water, under- 
ground. 

Verdel, Iniilding stone near 22 

Verdigre, building stone near 22-23 

springs near 40 

water power at 40 

Vermillion Ferry, rocks near, view of 12 

Volcanic ash, occurrcnc-e of 24 

Water powers, character and distribution 

of 26 

Water resourc-es, description of 2.5-55 

Water, artesian. See Artesian water. 



Page. 

Waterbury, springs at- 50 

Water, surface, character and distribution 

of 25-27 

Water, underground, character and occur- 
rence of 27-32 

character and occurrence of, map show- 
ing Pocket 

See also Artesian water. 
Wells, artesian, character and distribution 

of 28-31 

construction and care of 30-31 

view of 38, 40 

See also Artesian water. 
Wells, flowing, character and distribution of 31-32 
Wells, shallow, character and distribution 

of 27-28 

pollution of 32 

Whiting Bridge, section near 17 

Wiegand, springs at 41 

Yankton, S. Dak., cement plant near 23 

cement plant near, view of 24 

cement rock near 23 



LEJe'08 



Miln^M^y. .9f CONGRESS^ 



019 953 824 A. iK 



